


Insomnia's Glaives

by latias_likes_pizza



Series: our fates twist like a river [2]
Category: Final Fantasy XV
Genre: Alternate Universe, Gen, Kingsglaive - Freeform, a little bit more emotional attachment, and some changes at the end, based on the AU at chocobaes, fateswap!AU, glaive!Ravus, it is literally just kingsglaive, niflheim!Nyx, oracle!Prompto, with some swapped characters
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-12-26
Updated: 2017-01-29
Packaged: 2018-09-12 11:26:06
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 10
Words: 23,961
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9069472
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/latias_likes_pizza/pseuds/latias_likes_pizza
Summary: The Empire of Niflheim has given King Regis of Lucis an ultimatum: surrender all Lucian territories outside Insomnia's Wall and marry his son to Lord Prompto Argentum. With no options left, he accepts their conditions.Ravus Fleuret is a member of the Kingsglaive, a warrior wielding the magic of his king. As the signing of the treaty approaches, he is on the front line of those defending Insomnia from a lying Empire.This is the story of a king, a Glaive, an Oracle, and the city they must defend.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Oh lookie, the fateswap!AU! So I am far too invested in this AU and as of posting I have written approximately half of the AU's version of the film. If you want to know where the AU is from, go to chocobaes.tumblr.com and have a look (hi Fran and Grouch!). Be warned, everyone discussing loves pain and sadness and we will make you like it too.
> 
> Also thank you to the anon who suggested the Ravus/Nyx swap! Because that is a brilliant idea and I have taken it and ran.
> 
> So with all said and done, I hope you enjoy!

** Chapter one **

_Twelve years ago_

Whatever peace there may have been between Lucis and Niflheim was fragile, shattered by the allegations of an Imperial attack targeting Prince Noctis of Lucis. The young prince, his guards, and his governess were attacked by a daemon whilst returning to Insomnia from a day trip outside. Most of his retinue were killed. Only by the timely arrival of his father was Noctis saved. Given the timing and target of the attack, as well as the fact that the daemon attacking the group was not usually found in the Cavaugh region, it was believed to have been orchestrated by the Empire.

Injured, Prince Noctis was taken by his father to Tenebrae in hopes of finding healing. The Lucian royalty was greeted by the royalty of Tenebrae: Queen Sylva Argentum, her son Prompto, and her nephew/ward, Nyx Ulric. Two of the three princes, Prompto and Noctis, immediately became close friends. Prompto would sit with Noctis and show him the photos that he’d taken of the palace and its grounds. Whenever the Lucian prince wished to go somewhere, Prompto would personally wheel him there.

And then the fires came. Everywhere and all at once.

While the royal retinues were in the Grand Garden of Palladia, Tenebrae’s royal palace, airships filled the sky. Magitek, the ghastly machines of Niflheim, descended to the ground. They burnt the garden and the people within. It was chaos. Imperial soldiers descended and shot without hesitation. Worst of all, came General Glauca. The armoured High Commander of Niflheim’s military. As the shots rang out, he sliced down almost any he saw.

Nyx was shot in the shoulder. He fell to the ground and came face-to-face with Glauca’s blade. The blade was pulled back. It never connected with Nyx. Queen Sylva ran to her nephew and threw herself in front of him. Nyx watched as his aunt, the one who had cared for him since his own parent’s deaths, fell dead in front of him.

King Regis ran to his son and Prince Prompto. As he reached for Noctis, he felt something slice his back. The king turned and was faced with General Glauca. The king summoned forth Royal Arms to deflect the attacks of the General. His ring glowed and lightning threw the General into burning trees. The king turned to the princes once more.

He lifted his son up and held him close by with one arm. The fires continued to rage. With his spare hand, he grabbed Prompto’s hand and pulled him with them as he ran. As Regis ran with his son and son’s best friend, Nyx called out to him.

“King Regis! Help us!”

Prompto looked back. Imperial soldiers were advancing. Swallowing his fear, he let go of King Regis’ hand. The king almost stopped and turned back for him, but Prompto shook his head. He stood and watched as the Lucian royals ran for their own airship. Imperial soldiers ran past him, not shooting. They just left him alone. He watched sadly as his home burnt and his best friend desperately called out for him.

Since that day, Tenebrae has been controlled by the Empire, trapped under their control.

_Present day_

As the Empire pressed forwards in their conquest of the world, King Regis assembled a force to combat them and protect Lucis. Known as the Kingsglaive, the force of warriors was composed of refugees that were able to wield the magic of their King. Fire, Lightning, and Ice were at their fingertips. The power of warping theirs to command.

* * *

 

_“All units move to secure the wall. If we lose it, we’re done for.”_

A battle raged forth between the Kingsglaive and the forces of Niflheim. Men did battle with monsters and machines, all enraged and given one purpose. Bring down a large stone wall that separated the Duscae and Leide regions. The Empire had brought their forces up by the sea. Airships darted around, careful to ignore a steadily growing tornado.

“ _Crowe, status?”_

A female Glaive stood in the centre of the group summoning the tornado. “Almost there. Just a little longer. Keep them off us!”

_“Pelna, move towards the eastern quadrant. We have behemoths inbound.”_

“Lucis ain’t paying us refugees enough,” Pelna muttered.

He dodged the spray of bullets unleashed by a nearby MT and retaliated with a blast of lightning. The Glaive pulled out a knife and threw it towards a pillar in the eastern quadrant. As it connected with the stone, Pelna flashed blue and warped from one place to another. A thundertail swooped down at him. He froze it.

As monsters raged all around, driven insane by a signal the Nifs were producing, Pelna ran and warped to his assigned destination. Glaives near him were hacking away at monsters or blowing up MTs with lightning. Pelna stopped still as he saw five deranged behemoths approach him.

“Anyone near me start blasting the shit out of those behemoths!” he screamed into the comms.

As the concentrated magic of about twenty Glaives took down the smaller four behemoths, the largest managed to avoid attacks and came charging straight for Pelna. He grit his teeth and prepared to fire off more magic when a knife came flying out at the behemoth. A Glaive warped to the knife and used the momentum from their warp to slice its neck.

Pelna ran over to the Glaive and handed him an Elixir he had in his pocket. The Glaive declined it and looked up at Pelna. “Save it for when you need it.”

“Go easy on the magic, Ravus. We’ve got a long fight ahead,” Pelna replied.

“I’ll go easy on the magic when you do!” Ravus yelled, using a blizzard spell to get rid of several approaching MTs. “You were just warping every two seconds to get here.”

_“We have incoming ships. Libertus, where are you? Get to Crowe’s team and assist.”_

“I’m a little busy, Luché!” Libertus yelled.

Both Ravus and Pelna turned their heads to see Libertus riding on the back of a deranged Garula. Pelna laughed while Ravus shook his head. Only Libertus. From his dangerous position, Libertus slammed a flaming fist into a gash in the Garula’s back. He threw his knife to a rock near where Pelna and Ravus were and warped. The Garula had caught fire.

A number of MTs approached (again) and Ravus grabbed a magic flask loaded with a thunder spell. He threw it into the group and watched with satisfaction as they fell to the ground. He and Pelna ran over to a Libertus who had just stopped puking. Pelna offered him an arm and pulled him up to his feet. They ducked behind a large group of rocks.

“If you’re going to puke when you warp, find alternatives,” Ravus suggested.

“Hey, not all of us are as good at it as you are,” Libertus snapped. “Help me get to Crowe?”

“Luché? You need me and Rave somewhere or can we escort Libertus?” Pelna asked into his comms, ignoring Ravus’ indignant shout of ‘Don’t call me Rave!’.

 _“Head over with him. Stand by to receive alternative instructions. Keep that idiot from getting himself killed,”_ Luché replied.

“Got it. Ravus, Libertus. Let’s go,” Pelna said.

The three ran out from behind the rocks, drawing the attention of nearby monsters. Pelna threw a fire spell at them, stopping them from rushing at the Glaives. Ravus looked around for a good place to warp to. He spotted a ledge along the wall that he could get to. He pointed it out to the others and within seconds, they were warping there. Thankfully, Libertus did not start puking this time.

Their ledge gave them a good view of the battleground. It wasn’t hard to tell that the members of the Glaive were struggling against the large onslaught of monsters and MTs. The tornado near the centre of the plains was slowly growing larger. Several airships were already starting to get caught up in it. Glaives on the ground were taking down MTs more quickly than they were monsters.

“Got it!” Crowe yelled.

Instantly, the tornado grew in size and power. All airships near it got swallowed up. Nearby Glaives warped as fast as they could to get the hell away from it. Monsters were swallowed up into. MTs didn’t stand a chance. Pelna let out a cheer and Libertus laughed. Ravus allowed himself a small smile. This looked like their chance.

Luché was rattling off instructions over the open frequency. Ravus barely listened to him as he instead watched something that caught his eye. The sun going down. The daemons would be coming. Better for them to finish up quick and get the hell out before they came.

Cleaning up straggling MTs and monsters didn’t happen quick enough.

The sun set and more airships appeared on the horizon. They were pulling something with them. Many a Glaive swore as they watched the largest daemon they’d ever seen being pulled into the battlefield. It roared as the airships released it. Something on it opened up and flying out of it came what could only be compared to ridiculously large flaming cannon balls. The tornado couldn’t make a dent in the daemon. The projectiles came crashing to the ground, destroying parts of the walls.

_“All Glaives retreat to the extraction point. Support is inbound. We can’t take that thing down.”_

“Looks like we’re going rock climbing,” Pelna muttered.

He, Ravus, and Libertus all grabbed their knives and started to scale the wall. More daemons were starting to gather, catching a few unlucky Glaives who weren’t fast enough. The three made it to the top of the wall. They took a moment to catch their breath before continuing to run on to the extraction point.

“SHIT!”

They stopped and turned their heads to see Crowe, standing on a platform, her left arm trapped underneath a large rock. Ravus started towards her. Pelna grabbed his shoulder and shook his head. “Crowe can get out of there.”

“Come on, Ravus. We have orders,” Libertus argued. “We need to get out.”

“She’ll be fine! Don’t risk yourself! You need to get back to Luna!” Pelna yelled.

Ravus took a deep breath and closed his eyes. He opened them, gripped his knives tighter, threw one towards the platform, and warped. Pelna and Libertus both swore before continuing to run towards the extraction point. Ravus ran towards Crowe.

“You asshole. You should have gone to extraction,” she said as he pushed the rock off her arm.

“And face Luna tomorrow and tell her that her honorary older sister is dead? Not happening. Stop complaining,” Ravus replied.

Cradling her broken wrist, Crowe ran alongside him. More daemons started to appear. As they ran, a Cerberus jumped in front of them and roared. Ravus swore and pulled Crowe behind him. He fired off a lightning spell, knocking it back a little. From behind him, Crowe threw a magic flask. Ice and lightning erupted from it. The Cerberus roared.

“Ledge on the left!” Crowe yelled.

Her and Ravus both threw their knives as the Cerberus lunged at them. They warped away just before it could get them. Crowe stumbled as she landed, swearing when pressure was put on her wrist. The Cerberus spotted them and looked like it was preparing to jump. Ravus used lightning once more, aiming a powerful blast at a pillar near the Cerberus. It felt onto it, knocking it off the wall.

“You okay to run?” Ravus asked.

“Shut up Ravus,” Crowe snapped.

They ran anyway.

* * *

 

Ravus sat next to Crowe as Pelna helped wrap her wrist. It was still dark and they were waiting near a haven, the Glaive setting up a guard for daemons. Libertus sat on a rock opposite them. All of them looked absolutely exhausted. The Empire had retreated earlier, doing their best to pull their daemon back with them, even though it was more likely that they would be winning the battle.

“Fleuret.”

The group all looked up to see Captain Titus Drautos approaching them. Ravus stood up and saluted his commanding office. “Sir.”

“At ease, Ravus,” Drautos said. Ravus relaxed and sat back down again. “You disobeyed an order to retreat.”

“I was assisting Glaive Altius, sir,” Ravus replied. “She was hurt.”

“That doesn’t matter. Better one living Glaive then two dead. Next time, it will be a different situation. You may not be able to get both of you out alive. The fact that you’re both still here…” Drautos sighed. “This is your first insubordination. You’re a good soldier, Ravus. But pull something like this again, there will be consequences.”

Ravus watched as the captain walked off. Crowe punched him in the shoulder with her good arm. “Idiot. Captain’s right.”

“Leave him alone. You might not be here without him,” Pelna said.

Crowe laughed. “No way. I’m unkillable. You’ll never be rid of me. Mwahahaha.”

She winced as Pelna tightened the wrappings on her wrist. Ravus rolled his eyes and got up from his seat once again. The others followed him and they made their way to a truck. Luché joined them and they loaded into the back. Pelna almost immediately fell asleep on the floor of the truck. Luché and Libertus started playing some card game while Crowe read a book. Ravus looked out the window as they made their way back to Insomnia.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I would like to just say that yes, it's VERY similar to Kingsglaive in terms of dialogue and progression.
> 
> Things will change, promise.
> 
> (also if the council members had canon names I was too lazy to find them)

** Chapter two **

Most of the Lucian council sat in the throne room. King Regis sat atop his throne. Captain Drautos was kneeling in the middle of the room, offering a report on the recent battle. The councillors sat and listened. Some were making notes of what he said.

“Yes, Your Majesty. They retreated with the daemon, despite their victory being all but assured,” Drautos said.

“Why would the Empire retreat? I don’t see any tactical advantage,” Lady Fortuna Clypeus said.

“The Empire operates strangely. They may be trying to lure us into a false sense of security,” Lord Ricard Highwind replied.

The king raised his hand for silence. “A sudden and inexplicable retreat. Strange indeed.”

“We are at risk nonetheless, Your Majesty. We cannot know when they will strike again,” Lord Clarus Amicitia said.

They had been thrust into a strange situation. The Empire had done something that they couldn’t see a reason for, meaning that they were unsure how to respond. There was no reason to deploy the Glaive yet they had to remain on guard. As Clarus had said, they didn’t know when the Empire would strike again. It could be at any moment.

As the council tried to puzzle out reasons for the retreat, an aide entered the room. “Your Majesty, word from the West Gate. A man claiming to be an envoy of the Empire requests an audience.”

The council stirred. A ripple of muttering went across the room. King Regis raised his hand for quiet once more. “Bring him to the palace. Have Marshal Gentiana place extra guards around the throne room.”

About twenty minutes later the guards had been posted and the aide returned, telling them that the envoy was waiting outside the throne room. King Regis signalled for the doors to be opened. As they opened, a man in a large, fancy black coat walked in. He was wearing a fedora and some weird, feathered cape-like thing on his arm.

“Hello there! Hello!” he cried, waving at the council. “Good day to you. And you. Well met, my dear Lucians.”

King Regis leaned forwards. “Has Niflheim grown so bold that they send the Chancellor himself as envoy? And under no guard at that?”

The Chancellor grinned at the King and extended an arm towards him. “It is an honour to be recognised by the great King Regis. Yet, permit me to stand on ceremony and introduce myself nonetheless. Ardyn Izunia. Chancellor of Niflheim.” He removed his hat and sunk into a theatrical bow. “At your humble service.”

The council began muttering again as Ardyn stood straight once more and placed his hat back on.

“Let the chancellor speak,” King Regis ordered.

“Thank you, Your Majesty,” Ardyn said. “I come to you on this… most auspicious of days to offer terms of peace.”

“Peace? What peace do you offer?” King Regis asked.

“As you no doubt surmised, that recent manoeuvre of ours was no strategic retreat.” Ardyn placed a foot on the stairs leading to the throne. “Call it… a gesture of imperial goodwill. Like you, we wish nothing more than to bring a swift end to this senseless war.”

“Is that so?”

“It is indeed.” The chancellor began walking up the steps, stopping halfway at a platform. “And we require but a singular compliance. Save your grand Insomnia here, Lucis must forfeit all territories to Niflheim rule.”

There was another ripple of muttering. King Regis signalled for silence once more, keeping his eyes on Ardyn. “Let him speak.”

“Ah! Insomnia!” Ardyn continued. “The jewel in the crown of the Lucian kingdom!” He dropped his arms and met the King’s eyes. “How foolish of me to forget. There is just one more trivial thing. It concerns your son.” King Regis shifted forwards. Ardyn resumed walking across the platform. “The fetching Prince Noctis of Lucis and the charming Prince Prompto of Tenebrae. They are to be wed, in a union of peace.” King Regis leant further forwards, frowning. “You seem vexed, Your Majesty. I assure you, the Oracle still holds you in the highest regard, as he has done all these twelve long years.”

“Any other conditions you wish to share, Chancellor Izunia?” Clarus asked, sensing the discomfort coming from his king.

“None, my Lord. Only those two. And the Empire would like to assure you that we will care for all citizens outside of Insomnia,” Ardyn said. “If His Majesty permits it, I shall take my leave and allow you to discuss. I assure you, there will be no further Imperial attacks until we have heard your answer. This war has gone on for too long, and we are all growing too old.”

He bowed once more before meeting the King’s eyes again and smiling.

“I am certain that Prince Prompto also wishes for peace.”

* * *

 

Several members of the Kingsglaive were out together, drinking. Several precautions had been taken before they met up. Luché searched Pelna for cards and other gambling materials. They certainly didn’t want a repeat of the Great Solstice Incident of eight years ago, Six forbid it.

“Nobody order anything that they say is Galahdian-inspired,” Crowe said. “I’ve tried it. Tastes shit. Nothing like what you’d get at home.”

“How would you know what things would taste like at home?” Pelna asked. “Last I checked, you and Ravus were too young to drink back then.”

“Sixteen year olds are an inventive species,” Ravus replied.

“Hey Ravus! Why didn’t you invite Luna along? She’s old enough to drink,” Libertus asked, handing him a drink.

“Lunafreya’s busy. She’s in the final stage of training,” Ravus replied. “I don’t think she wants to come and get drunk with us.”

“Especially since she’s being trained by the Marshal,” Pelna said, laughing. “You should have got her to join the Kingsglaive, Rave, not the Crownsguard.”

“Don’t call me Rave. Besides, her best friend is the Prince. I think she’s had enough of magic,” Ravus said. “She was invited into Crownsguard training. She accepted. She’s been an Insomnian citizen long enough.”

Luna choosing the Crownsguard over the Kingsglaive was a bit of a sore point amongst some of them. She probably would have been able to handle the magic. Probably would have been damn good at using it. And still she had chosen to enter into the Crownsguard. Rumours had surfaced that she was being trained to be a special guard for Prince Noctis, alongside his Shield, Iris Amicitia. Luna had been asked about it, but she would never confirm or deny. Not even Ravus knew.

“How’s the arm, Crowe?” Libertus asked.

“Holding out. And don’t ask me about it while I’m drinking,” Crowe snapped.

“Can we at least sign your cast?” Pelna asked.

“ _No_.”

“Okay, fine.” Pelna threw his hands above his head. “You thanked Ravus yet?”

“She doesn’t need to. We’re Glaives. We look after each other,” Ravus said. “For hearth…”

“And home,” everybody chorused.

Pelna ordered everyone another round of drinks. The conversation turned to the battle two days before hand. Libertus was telling an exaggerated version of his Garula-riding story while Pelna corrected him. Crowe laughed and told them that they were both idiots.

“Idiots we may be, but we sent the Nifs running with their tails between their legs,” Libertus said.

“Did we really?” Luché said. “They weren’t running from us. They were toying with us.”

“Don’t talk like that Luché,” Ravus said. “Are you trying to destroy morale?”

Luché placed his drink down. “Did you know that they sent an envoy to the Citadel? Not an envoy offering their surrender. He was demanding ours.”

“What?!” “Cut the bullshit Luché.” “No way!”

“Think about it. The Empire’s got Lucis on its last legs,” Luché continued. “It’s the perfect time to make demands.”

Everybody fell silent, not wanting to acknowledge the truth in Luché’s words.

* * *

 

An emergency session of the Royal Council had been called. All members had assembled in the council room. Also invited were Captain Drautos and Marshall Gentiana Duratus of the Crownsguard. Lord Highwind was summarising the events of earlier for the members who hadn’t been present.

“The Chancellor also informed us that a marriage between Prince Noctis and Lord Prompto was a condition of the treaty,” he said.

As seemed to be tradition among the council, muttering began. Lord Highwind’s niece, Aranea dropped the pen she’d been writing with. She mouthed something at her uncle and he nodded at her, confirming it to be true. She picked her pen up again and continued writing.

“Noct’s going to be shocked,” she commented.

“How do we respond to these demands?” Gentiana asked.

“We are losing this war,” Lord Arctos said. “Lucis cannot rely on the Kingsglaive alone. Accepting this truce may be the best course of action.”

“You speak of matters beyond the New Wall,” Lord Cinis replied. “We have no need of a truce here, so long as it stands. And if our position worsens, we still have the Old Wall.”

“Yes, but this truce will end the fighting altogether,” Lady Clypeus argued. “If only we could compromise-”

Lord Amicitia interrupted by raising his hand. “Compromise is unwise. We know nothing of Niflheim’s true intentions. Do not fool yourselves. The Walls are far from impenetrable.”

“My Crownsguard would be ready for any infiltration,” Marshal Gentiana said. “However, we would not withstand a full-scale assault, not even with the support of the Kingsglaive. Nor would be able to spare any forces to other regions. We would leave areas such as Cleigne and Duscae without protection. The rest of Cavaugh may be safe, and we could potentially protect the greater part of Leide. Yet it would not be enough.”

King Regis stood. “The paths left to us are few. The New Wall draws its power from the throne. I am able to sustain it for some years yet, if the Kingdom requires it. But the Chancellor spoke one truth, if only one. We are old. And the Old Wall…” He clasped his hands together. “I cannot command the Old Wall with a weakened hand. Nor do I have the strength to muster and offensive and turn the tide of this war.”

“Then let the choice be made, Your Majesty. What are we to protect?” Lord Amicitia asked.

Several members of the council started talking all at once. There were two main views amongst them. Half the council believed that accepting the truce would be the best course of action. The others wanted to continue fighting the Empire. Marshal Gentiana stood up and gestured for quiet.

“We must consider all of Lucis. Not just Insomnia. If this war continues, they will suffer while we are safe,” she said. “A truce will protect all regions.”

“The Marshall tells the truth,” King Regis agreed. “We will accept the truce. We must think of those beyond the wall.”

“And what of Prince Noctis?” Lord Arctos asked. “His betrothal is a condition of the truce.”

“Noct will accept. He knows what’s at stake in this war,” Aranea said. “I’ll tell him.”

“Thank you, Aranea,” the King said.

* * *

 

Early the next morning, Aranea was sat in Noctis’ apartment. She was telling him and the other two members of the ‘Prince’s Angels’, Iris Amicitia and Lunafreya Fleuret, about the truce and its conditions. Noctis hadn’t really said anything as she spoke.

“So yeah. Congrats, Pretty Boy. You’re getting married,” Aranea finished.

“And Noct has no choice in this?” Iris asked.

“I’m sure King Regis would call off the truce if Noct doesn’t want to get married or at least try and make sure it isn’t part of the conditions,” Aranea replied. “So, Pretty Boy. My advice? Accept the condition. Because we’ve _both_ now sat through enough briefings to know that this war is going badly and it needs to _end_.”

“It’s still Noct’s choice,” Luna said.

Noctis sighed and got up from the couch. He walked over to his shelves and picked something up from the top shelf. A photo album. He flicked through it, looking at the photos and notes attached. Half were of him and his friends. The other half were of a blonde boy. They both aged together in the photos. Noctis went to the last photo. One of the blonde boy, now twenty, taking a selfie near a fountain. The message attached read: _Snuck out to the town. Don’t tell Nyx! You’ve got a fountain in the Citadel, right? Prompto_.

“Would you be okay with this, Luna?” Noctis asked, still looking at the album. “You moved here from Galahd. And you said you lost your first home to the Empire.”

“I’m fine with it. I just want the fighting to end,” Luna replied.

Smiling sadly, Noctis closed the photo album and put it back on the shelf. He turned to the angels. Luna and Iris were smiling while Aranea rolled her eyes. She walked over to Noctis and put a hand on his shoulder. She squeezed it lightly before grabbing the album and thrusting it towards Noctis.

“From everything you’ve said about him, and bear in mind you’ve said _a lot_ , I’m pretty sure Lord Prompto wouldn’t mind,” she said.

“What are you going to do, Noct?” Luna asked. “Just know that we’ll support you, no matter what.”

“Course we will,” Iris said. “We’re your guardian angels after all.”

Noctis smiled slightly. “Thanks.”

“Will you accept the condition?” Aranea asked. “Because I might have said that you probably will and your dad needs an answer pretty soon.”

“I accept it. I’ll marry Prompto.”


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Glaive learn of the King's decision and are not happy about it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello again!
> 
>  
> 
> Okay, you guys can have your Prompto scene.

** Chapter three **

_Five people, four teenagers and an eight-year-old, were running together as imperial airships flew through the sky. Fires were swallowing up the buildings around them. One of the four teenagers scooped the eight-year-old into his arms as they ran. She was crying and screaming. This wasn’t the first home she’d lost to the Empire._

_“Ravus I’m scared!” she cried._

_“It’ll be okay, Lunafreya. I promise you,” Ravus replied, holding her tighter._

_“Alexis is up ahead with the truck!” one of the other teens yelled. “Come on!”_

_“Look out!”_

Ravus snapped out of his flashback when Pelna punched him in the arm. His friend gave him a worried look and Ravus shook his head. A scream sounded from above and they watched as one of the new recruits fell through the air. He threw his knife to the ground and warped. He started puking as soon as he was on solid ground. Older Glaives dotted around the training ground started laughing at him.

“Newbies. Newbies and Libertus,” Pelna said, chuckling.

“It’s a strenuous action,” Ravus said. “I remember you puking up lumps of a sandwich when you first tried.”

“Oh yeah. Rub it in that you were one of the few people who got it first try,” Pelna replied, punching Ravus in the arm again. “Shame we’ll never be able to settle that bet about whether Luna would puke or not.”

“Hey! Pelna! Ravus! You need to come and see this!” Crowe yelled.

The pair ran into the breakroom with her. Crowe wordlessly pointed at a TV. A news programme was broadcasting. A headline blazed across the bottom of the screen. _GOV’T DECLARES CEASEFIRE._ The newscaster was reading out the story.

_“Things were hectic in the capital today as the Lucian government announced full acceptance of what some are criticising as the unilateral peace terms proposed by Chancellor Izunia of Niflheim. The signing of the truce will see governing power over all Lucian territories transferred to the Empire, with the sole exception of Insomnia. In return, Niflheim guarantees the continued safety of Insomnia and its citizenry, as well as a cessation to all hostilities, bringing a decisive end to this long and bitter war.”_

Members of the Kingsglaive stared at the screen in disbelief. Despite all the fighting they had done, everything they had done to try and defeat the Empire, it was all for nothing. If Lucis was stopping the fighting, they had no chance of reclaiming their homes from Niflheim. Some Glaives looked like they were about to burst into tears. Others looked like they were about to murder someone.

As the atmosphere rapidly grew darker, Captain Drautos walked in. Nobody bothered to salute him. They just stared at him, as if he could suddenly tell them that this wasn’t happening. There was something resigned about him. He stood in the centre of the room, looking out towards his Glaives.

“Assemble in the briefing room. _Now_ ,” he ordered.

It took a few minutes but soon every Glaive had changed into their uniform and assembled in the briefing room. They stood to attention as Drautos walked into the room. He stood in front of them once more.

“What’s going on?” Pelna asked.

“The King has spoken and you have heard,” Drautos said. “All lands beyond the wall are to be relinquished to the Empire.”

“Will no regions be spared?” Luché asked. He was from an island off the coast of Cleigne.

“None,” Drautos replied.

“But your home’s out there too!” Libertus said.

“It is,” Drautos said.

“Why is the King doing this, sir?” Ravus asked.

“Because it will end this damn war!” Drautos snapped. He sighed. “Pelna!”

“Sir!”

“Prepare to deploy. You’re being sent to infiltrate Tenebrae,” Drautos said.

“Tenebrae? That’s Imperial territory,” Pelna replied. “Why are you sending me there?”

“Mission orders are classified. Report to my office in thirty minutes for briefing.” Drautos turned to Ravus. “Ravus. You’re being moved to active duty in the citadel, with a potential change in assignment in the next few days. That is all.”

The Glaives waited for him to leave the room before they started talking amongst themselves.

“We can’t let it end like this!” Libertus exclaimed.

“Calm down, Libertus,” Ravus said, putting an arm on his friend’s shoulder. “I doubt the King would let it end like this. He’s been trying to win for too long. We’ve just got to hope there’s a plan. Luché, is this what you were talking about the other night?”

“You heard the Captain. It wasn’t our decision,” Luché replied.

“But those are our homes out there,” Crowe said. “Ravus, you had better be right.”

“Oh, don’t you all get it?” another Glaive, Tredd, asked. “We’re nothing to them, the Insomnians, the Lucians. We’re just rats from beyond the Wall. They only wanted us here because we could use His Majesty’s magic. Now that the fight’s done, what use do they have for us?”

“Drautos wasn’t exactly dismissing us for good, Tredd,” Ravus said, voice low. “There’s still a chance that the King might have use for us. If you’re so obsessed with everything being over, then you can leave.”

Tredd lunged towards Ravus as the others held him back. Ravus stood still, glaring at him with cold eyes. Tredd glared right back. He tried to push forwards again, only for Pelna and Libertus to drag him away. They dropped him, forcing him onto the ground. A few Glaives laughed in the background. Crowe stood directly between Ravus and Tredd. She shook her head at Tredd. He glared at her as he got up. Everybody stared at him. Ravus met his eyes, wordlessly daring him to try again. Tredd spat in his direction before walking off.

“Anybody else want to argue about what’s going on?” Ravus asked.

Nobody replied.

* * *

 

King Regis walked along the corridors of the palace. Noctis had visited earlier, agreeing to his plan about holding the wedding in Altissia. First Secretary Camelia had been contacted (thank you, Weskham) and she had agreed to let them hold it in her capital. Now he had to deal with the reaction of his citizens to the news of the truce. His council had put out people to get a feel for what was happening.

“It is said sentiment amongst the people is favourable, Your Majesty,” Lord Arctos said. “Most all will welcome this peace.”

“If you yourself have not heard their voices, how can you claim to know their hearts?”

Lord Cinis picked up his pace to walk directly next to the King. “What of the mission to Tenebrae, Your Majesty? Is such clandestine action wise? If discovered, it will only provoke the Empire.”

“The Empire remains our enemy until the treaty is signed,” Clarus said. “So long as we are at war, His Majesty intends to remain one step ahead of them.”

“Of course,” Lord Cinis replied.

They reached an office. All of the retinue bar Clarus bowed to the king and left. The two old friends entered together. King Regis walked to the desk and picked up a photo that was stood on it. It showed a young Noctis in his wheelchair. Standing behind him and smiling with him was Prompto. Two young dogs stood by them.

Sighing, King Regis set the photo down. He grabbed a folder from the table and handed it to Clarus. His Shield opened it and read what was inside. Skimming through it, he nodded and placed it back on the table before helping his friend to his seat.

“Iris will be more than happy to accompany Prince Noctis,” he said, sitting opposite. “Not just as his Shield, but as his friend. And I see Countess Highwind will be going as well.”

“Aranea is his personal advisor,” King Regis replied. “And another friend. I believe that young Lunafreya Fleuret should accompany them. Noctis refuses to get married without his best friends all standing with him.”

“The Prince’s Angels,” Clarus said, laughing. “There’ll be a fight for his Best Woman.”

“Oh, Luna will be. Without a doubt. She’s practically his sister,” Regis said, joining in with the laughter. “But Iris will give him away. And Aranea will give a cutting yet hilarious speech. Much like the one Weskham gave for me.”

The two old friends continued laughing at the memory of Weskham’s speech. It had essentially called out Regis for all his bad habits and finished with him toasting to Aulea, telling her that she was ‘the strongest woman in the world since she’s decided to put up with the disgusting specimen of a King that is Regis. Good luck Lea. You’ll need it’. Both of them had no doubt that Aranea would finish her speech on a similar note.

Regis sighed and picked up another file. “I’ll have Gentiana set guards aside to evacuate, in case something goes wrong. Are you content with Gladiolus remaining in the city?”

“I am. If anything does happen, Dustin and Jared have orders to take him across the Sound with Talcott. The Amicitias own the Leville in Lestallum. They would be safe there should anything happen,” Clarus replied. “Noctis and the others will be setting off tomorrow, correct?”

“Correct. I had hoped that this day would come later, yet circumstances have left us no choice. I pray that our children will be strong for the trials ahead.” Regis closed his eyes and put his head in his hands.

Clarus said nothing. He got up from his seat and went to give his old friend a hug.

* * *

 

_The day after_

Pelna opened up a case containing an ornate brooch. He frowned at it as he set his watch. Once the watch had beeped, he picked up the case. Ravus, Crowe, and Libertus all crowded around him to see what it was. Libertus started laughing when he got a look. Crowe jabbed his shoulder to get him to shut up.

“I wasn’t aware that you owned a brooch like that,” Ravus said.

“It’s not for me. It’s for the Prince,” Pelna replied, shoving his arm.

“Well, according to Lunafreya, Prince Noctis isn’t into brooches like that either. Besides, he’s already left Insomnia,” Ravus commented.

Pelna groaned and shut the case. “Not that Prince. Prince Prompto. I’m to escort him out of Tenebrae. Don’t tell anybody. Drautos told me not to tell. And hands away from the brooch. Can’t have it broken when I give it to the Oracle. Only seems right to give him a gift. Luché helped me pick it out.”

Libertus snickered in the background. It was well-known that Pelna couldn’t keep secrets that well. Everybody knew not to tell him what they were getting others for Solstice, lest he would blurt it out to them. Ravus rolled his eyes; the Captain should have picked somebody else if he wanted this mission kept secret. Crowe would have been the best choice, if her wrist wasn’t broken.

The Speedy Chocobo Laundry van next to them honked its horn. Pelna put the case in the top of his bag and chucked it into the back of the van. He climbed into the back and grabbed the door handles.

“Try not to get yourself killed,” Crowe said.

“Try not to have Ravus need to save your ass again,” Pelna replied. “How’s he going to cope? Luna’s off with the Prince and I’m heading to Tenebrae.”

“He’s got us, hasn’t he?” Libertus said.

“We’ll be fine, Pelna. You stay safe,” Ravus said.

“Yeah. You got it. See ya, Crowe, Rave, Lib.” Pelna waved at them before closing the doors.

The van drove off with the others waving it off. Ravus ‘tsked’; he’d told Pelna to not call him ‘Rave’ millions of times. Libertus elbowed him lightly before putting an arm around both him and Crowe. Crowe laughed and jokingly tried to push him off. The three turned (as best they could with Libertus clinging onto the others tightly) and walked back towards the Kingsglaive HQ.

Deep inside, Ravus felt a sense of foreboding. He tried to swallow it down, tried to tell himself it was nothing. They’d all gone on solo missions before. He knew that Pelna was plenty capable enough to make the infiltration and escort Prince Prompto to whatever destination he was to be taken to. There was no need for him to worry. None at all.

Yet he still did.

* * *

 

_Tenebrae_

Prompto pulled a hoodie over his head. Cor was off creating a distraction so that the palace guards wouldn’t catch him. He was going to have to leave the trident behind but that was okay. He needed to travel light and he hadn’t mastered summoning it yet. Surely he could figure it out during the trip to Lucis. Grabbing his bag, he darted out of his quarters and made his way down the stairs.

No matter what, Prompto needed to get to Lucis without Imperials watching him. The Empire was planning something. Why else would they suddenly offer a truce? And his marriage was an oddly specific condition (not that Prompto was _complaining_ ; he was completely happy with marrying Noctis). There had to be something going on. He needed to speak with King Regis; perhaps the time was coming for Noctis to follow his destiny and for Prompto to guide him.

“Lord Prompto, I’ve left the rear gate open,” Maria, one of his retainers, said.

“Thanks Maria,” Prompto replied.

“Must you go?” Maria asked.

“I kinda have to,” Prompto replied. “I need to help Noct and do Oracle-y things. You’ll be alright, won’t you?”

“I will be fine, Lord Prompto,” Maria said. The sound of doors opening made them jump. “Go quickly! Cor’s distraction won’t last long. I’ll send Umbra to reunite with you and Pryna when I can.”

Maria hurried away. Prompto went towards the door but it opened before he touched it. He took a few steps backwards as Imperial soldiers came into the room. Prompto felt fear bubble up inside him as they pointed their weapons at him. Cor’s distraction obviously failed. Two of the soldiers saluted as somebody in an ornate white uniform walked in.

“You haven’t been given permission to leave the palace yet, Prompto.” Nyx Ulric, Prompto’s cousin and high-ranking Niflheim Staff Officer, walked towards him.

“I was… going for a walk?” Prompto offered.

Nyx raised his eyebrows. “With a bag that size? Cousin, you’re a terrible liar.”

He pushed Prompto towards the stairs. The younger cousin sighed before walking up them, Nyx close behind. When they made it to Prompto’s quarters, Nyx took the bag from him and threw it to the side. Umbra barked in surprise as it almost hit him. Prompto stroked his back to calm him.

“I want you to stay in here until the journey to Lucis,” Nyx said.

“What?! That’s not fair, Nyx,” Prompto protested.

“Not fair? What’s not fair is you ignoring your responsibilities to run off and go tell King Regis about some stupid plan you’ve dreamed up,” Nyx said.

“Nyyyyyx,” Prompto whined. “I’m sorry but I _need_ to go. The Oracle’s supposed to help the King, remember? There’s something fishy about Niflheim marrying me to Noct.”

“Your marriage is a symbol of peace. The Oracle, a noble Lord of an Imperial territory, marrying the King-to-be of Lucis,” Nyx replied. “If you’re that desperate to speak to King Regis, I’ll organise an audience. But you are _not_ to go running off to Lucis on your own. You hear me?”

“Yeah. I get it,” Prompto mumbled.

“Great,” Nyx said. He put a hand on Prompto’s shoulder. “Aunt Sylva died because of him. Don’t you… don’t you die because of Lucis either. Please.”

“It was Niflheim. Not King Regis,” Prompto said.

Nyx threw up his hands in despair and stormed out of the room. Prompto heard the sound of a lock clicking. He groaned and fell onto his bed.


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Niflheim delegates arrive and the Glaives get more bad news.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello again. Here's another chapter. Enjoy.
> 
> Also, if you enjoy the fateswap!AU then you should go and check out hamnet's take on the AU with their fic, de novo. It's different to my take on it (of course) and imo it's absolutely brilliant!
> 
> http://archiveofourown.org/works/9164107/chapters/20807326

** Chapter four **

Ravus’ apartment was fairly small. Until two years ago, he’d lived in a relatively small house. It had been larger than his current dwelling though. As the only Glaive with somebody dependent on him, Drautos had permitted him to live in that house with Luna until she moved out. She’d moved into the Crownsguard barracks soon after she started training and Ravus found his own place.

He was currently sitting on his couch and flicking through the channels on his TV. He didn’t have to report to the citadel for a little while yet. A cooking show, a romcom, a cartoon, the news. Ravus settled on the news. A large airship was being shown. The delegates from Niflheim were arriving.

_“An air of jubilation has swept the city in anticipation of the coming armistice.”_ An old man in regal clothing stepped out of the airship. Ravus assumed that it was the Emperor. _“With only a day remaining until the peace is officially signed into effect, throngs of citizens have taken to the street to show their joy at the arrival of the Imperial delegation, a sure sign of an end to the war.”_

Rolling his eyes, Ravus tuned out the sound of the news. Luna had been gone for four days now, as had Pelna. He supposed that Luna would have made it to Galdin Quay by now and would be making her way out to Altissia. Pelna probably had rendezvoused with an airship that would take him to Tenebrae. Luna had texted him a few times but he had no contact with Pelna. He could only hope that his friend was okay.

_“-with waves of Imperial diplomats arriving in the city. Among them is Lord Prompto Argentum, Oracle of Tenebrae.”_

Ravus sat up and stared at the screen. A young man in finery was walking out of the airship, waving shyly at the cameras. He was being escorted by a slightly older dark-haired man in an imperial uniform. The banners underneath told Ravus that the young man was indeed Lord Prompto, escorted by his cousin Nyx Ulric. Ravus stared at the screen in confusion as his phone went off with texts in the background.

Wasn’t Pelna supposed to be escorting Lord Prompto?

Shaking off his confusion, Ravus grabbed his jacket and pulled it on. He grabbed his phone; both Libertus and Crowe had texted him, voicing their confusion. Placing his phone and keys into his pocket, Ravus switched the TV off and headed out of his apartment. He needed to report to the citadel.

Luckily for him, his apartment wasn’t too far away. It would be a little bit of a walk to get to his posting in the north of the palace. Could have been further. Ravus walked along; many of the people he passed were excitedly discussing the truce. Some were excited to have the Oracle in the city. Ravus felt like punching some of them. None of them truly knew what it was like out there where the Empire was.

As he walked, a car horn caught his attention. A fancy Audi pulled up next to him. The window came down, revealing Drautos.

“Get in,” he said.

Raising his eyebrows, Ravus opened the door and slid into the passenger seat. Drautos drove onwards, heading towards the bypass tunnel that would head into the citadel.

“I was unaware that we’d received one of the Prince’s cars,” Ravus said. “Gift, since he’s out of the city?”

“He’s driven Luna around in this, hasn’t he?” Drautos replied. “You’re right. He’s taken his father’s car. But that’s not important. You have new orders, Ravus. You’ll be the personal guard of the Oracle during his stay in Insomnia.”

“What happened to Pelna?” Ravus asked.

“We’re trying to figure it out. He hasn’t reported back. I’ll let you know when I have updates,” Drautos said. “Luna’s headed off with the Prince and the Angels. She’s accepted this peace, but what about you?”

Ravus shrugged. “I’m accepting it. What choice do I have?”

“I heard what you said to Tredd. Luché told me,” Drautos said. “The King does have a plan. Why do you think he’s trying to have the princes meet in Altissia? He just hasn’t revealed exactly what it is to me yet.”

“He’s not just going to accept the truce?” Ravus asked.

“I don’t know, Ravus. What the King decides to do is no concern of mine unless he makes it my concern. I’ll follow his orders and you’ll follow mine,” Drautos said.

They slowed down as a large group of protestors approached. City Watch and Crownsguard were pushing the protestors to the side so that they didn’t hold up traffic. They were all holding up signs denouncing the King and the truce. Ravus recognised a number as refugees, the ones who didn’t or couldn’t become Glaives. He wondered if he’d be among them had he never joined the Kingsglaive.

Drautos flashed an ID card to a Crownsguard member. The member nodded at him before signalling for his colleagues to let the car head on towards the citadel. A much calmer crowd were standing behind barriers. Drautos parked the car in a designated area to the side of the main road. He gestured for Ravus to get out. Once they were both out the car, Drautos led Ravus to the main road. A guard was arguing with a Niflheim diplomat next to a car.

“Do you have any idea who you’re stopping?!” the diplomat yelled. “Open this gate _now_ and maybe you’ll have a job tomorrow!”

The guard stepped towards the diplomat, towering over him. “King’s orders.”

“Are you sure you want to risk a diplomatic issue _now_ of all times?” the diplomat asked. “I am the personal escort of Lord Prompto Argentum, Oracle of Tenebrae and-”

“And the beloved groom-to-be of our kingdom’s prince,” Drautos interrupted, walking towards them with Ravus close behind. “Welcome to sovereign jurisdiction, Ambassador. We’ll take it from here. Ravus. You have your orders. See His Highness to the palace.”

“F-forgive me, Captain Drautos,” the diplomat stuttered. “I had no idea. I must alert my superiors. I-I-I…”

Ravus ignored the discussion. He opened the driver’s door and nodded at the driver. He nodded back and stepped out of the car. Ravus climbed into the driver’s seat.

“Err… hey,” Lord Prompto said.

“Your Highness,” Ravus replied. He did his seat belt out of habit and drove off.

* * *

 

King Regis stood near his throne, looking out to one of the large windows. Prompto wasn’t supposed to be here. A Glaive was supposed to be escorting him to Altissia, to keep him safe. Something had gone wrong. Niflheim had no reason to bring him here. They’d all agreed that the wedding wouldn’t be held in Insomnia.

An aide walked into the throne room. “His Royal Highness, Prince Prompto of Tenebrae.”

Regis turned to see him entering the room. A Glaive stood behind him. Prompto smiled up at the king.

“Hey. It’s been a while, huh?” he said.

“Twelve years,” Regis replied, smiling back at him.

Prompto walked towards the stairs. He walked up them, stopping at the platform. Regis went down the stairs and hugged the prince. Prompto flinched slightly before returning the hug. After a few moments, Regis pulled away. Somewhat reluctantly, he climbed the stairs once more and went to sit on the throne.

“Noct’s not here,” Prompto commented. “Or he would have been the first person to come and say hi.”

“No, my dear. Noctis isn’t here,” Regis replied sadly. He sighed. “I am too old to fight this war. This peace… it was needed.”

“I know,” Prompto said. “And I’m gonna help keep it. That’s my duty as Oracle, right?”

“And I wish it wasn’t. You deserve a peaceful life, free from all of this,” Regis said. “Despite everything, I had hoped to hold the wedding elsewhere. Somewhere safe. I sent one of my Glaive to see you there, but… it is not too late. I can ready an escort. Please, go to my son.”

Prompto smiled sadly and shook his head. “I can’t. If I go, the Empire will follow me. I can’t put Noct in danger. I’ve got a duty, y’know? As Oracle. I have to protect him. And not just because of the Oracle thing. Noct’s my friend. I don’t want him to get hurt.”

“And what about you? You could be at risk,” Regis said. “Noctis would never forgive himself if you were to be hurt.”

“I’ll be fine. I’m made of tough stuff,” Prompto replied, grinning. “I can take what the Empire throws at me. I hope. Nah, I’m sure I can.”

There was a pause before Regis burst out laughing. He got up from the throne and made his way to Prompto. He hugged the young Oracle once more. Prompto joined in with the laughter and hugged him back. They stayed like that for a few minutes, not caring that there were other people in the room.

* * *

 

Lord Prompto had been escorted to the Caelum Via, where the Niflheim delegation were staying. Ravus had been relieved of bodyguard duty and was returning to Kingsglaive HQ with Drautos. The Captain had managed to out-argue fussy Niflheim ambassadors.

“I had heard that the Oracle was living in Niflheim territory, but it sounded more like he was imprisoned,” Ravus commented.

“He’s a symbol of the peace, that’s all I’m told,” Drautos replied.

Ravus snorted. “A hostage, more like. And he’s come here to be more than just a symbol.”

“It’s not your job to think about it,” Drautos said. “Your orders are to protect His Highness. Not to think about it.”

“With all due respect, if you want me to protect him, I should know exactly what the hell is going on,” Ravus replied. “And I will _think_.”

The pair stopped and stared at each other. Glared might have been the better word. Drautos grumbled slightly before walking onwards. Ravus rolled his eyes and followed behind. He didn’t care whether his Captain wanted him to forget about what he’d heard (at least, it seemed that way). He had no intentions of not thinking about it.

As they walked, Drautos’ comms went off. He pressed it to his ear and listened. While he listened, he stopped walking. With a face of shock and sadness, he turned to Ravus. Ravus stared at him for a second. Drautos muttered something into the comms before switching it off and pocketing it. He opened his mouth but no words came out. Then they did.

“Pelna.”

Everything was a blur. Crowe and Libertus both texted Ravus, saying that Pelna was back. Drautos escorted him into HQ and told him to head to the medical bay. Ravus ran at full speed to get there. His other friends were standing outside. Libertus was arguing with an orderly. Crowe was standing back a bit.

“Ravus! Pelna’s back and they rushed him straight in!” Libertus said.

“Please, you can’t-”

Libertus wasn’t exactly known for stopping and thinking things through. He pushed past the orderly and barged into the examination room. Crowe looked towards Ravus and saw the look of horror on his face. Her eyes widened and she ran in after Libertus. Ravus followed her. All three of them ended up stopping just inside the room. In the centre on the examination table was a body in a bag.

Pelna’s body.

Slowly, as if in a dream, Libertus walked towards the body. Hs friends followed after. Pelna’s eyes were open. His skin looked grey and drained of colour. There was a dried black substance streaked across his face. A frozen, pained expression was on it. Crowe’s hands flew to her mouth at the sight. Libertus dropped to his knees. Ravus stood still, frozen.

“What… what happened?” Crowe asked quietly.

One of the medical crew walked over. “We don’t know. I’m sorry. I’m so very sorry.”

* * *

 

Galahdians burned their dead as soon as they could and held a celebration the weak after. So many of the Glaive were Galahdian refugees, the medical team had grown used to dealing with bodies in such a way after an autopsy. Crowe was currently holding onto the container with Pelna’s ashes. She refused to let go.

She, Ravus, and Libertus were all sat together by the training grounds. Drautos had come by earlier and handed them a box. The box contained Pelna’s personal effects. The items he’d had on him when he died. All his other belongings were in his apartment. Drautos handed the box to Ravus. Apparently, Pelna had listed him as the one in charge of sorting out what was left behind, should he die.

“The armistice won’t interfere with the investigation. I’ll make sure of it,” Drautos had said. “I’m sorry. He was a good soldier.”

“Don’t,” Ravus snapped. “Don’t make us remember him as a soldier. He was our friend. Just… just fuck off.”

There was no reprimand. Drautos just nodded sadly and walked away.

Libertus was shaking. “This… this isn’t fucking fair! Pelna… he had nothing and nobody but us! Old Man Khara… his grandfather… he died when we were escaping Galahd. This isn’t fair, dammit!”

“None of it’s fair. Nothing’s been fair for years,” Crowe muttered.

“Lucis… Lucis did this to Pelna!” Libertus yelled.

Ravus snapped out of his silent staring and grabbed Libertus’ arm. “Don’t say bullshit like that. We don’t know how Pelna died, other than it was poison. He could have been caught by surprise by a monster. Perhaps even a daemon. Don’t place blame where it isn’t due.”

“Are you shitting me, Ravus?!” Libertus exclaimed, pulling his arm away. “If Pelna wasn’t sent on the mission-”

“SHUT UP!” Crowe screamed. Her friends stared at her. She took a deep breath. “Ravus… Ravus is right. We don’t know exactly what killed Pelna, okay? We’re Glaives. We have a fucking job to do. So yeah. We’ll mourn. But we’ll have to move past it. Because we’re trying to protect people. And we have no idea if the truce is genuine or not. So grow the fuck up, stop confusing how you feel about the treaty with Pelna’s death, and get on with things.”

She stared at the others with teary eyes. Ravus put an arm around her and she leaned into him. She started crying, mourning her friend. Libertus shuffled closer and put his arms around both of them. Together, they cried. Now was the time for tears. Later they would get on with their jobs.

“G-g-give the p-prince that st-st- _stupid_ brooch,” Crowe got out between sobs. “It was… was a g-gift from Pelna.”

“I will,” Ravus murmured. “I will.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> list of differences from Kingsglaive so far [not counting swapped characters]:  
> \- Crowe got hurt, not Libertus  
> \- Crowe stayed behind  
> \- Pelna got sent to Tenebrae  
> \- Pelna's surname actually gets mentioned in the fic! (seriously, I only found out what it was when checking the wiki)  
> \- More emotional attachment to him? I hope? Probably not? I am terrible?  
> \- Pelna died, not Crowe  
> \- Libertus (and Crowe) stayed in the Glaive
> 
> That's actually more than I thought there were even if some of these are minor/debatable


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A celebration is held and the day of the signing approaches, only for one of the guests of honour to go missing.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh hi there update.
> 
> So loads of people were saying that they liked Prompto's bits and there's more Prompto in this chapter so hopefully you'll enjoy this.

** Chapter five **

_Ravus: Where are you?_  
_Luna: Galdin. Been here a couple of days, waiting for boats. Are you okay?_  
 _Ravus I’ll be fine._  
 _Luna: Thank you for telling me about Pelna._  
 _Ravus: You can still come back to Insomnia if you want._  
 _Luna: No. Need to keep the others in check._  
 _Luna: Sure you’ll be okay?_  
 _Ravus: I am strong Luna. We both are._  
 _Luna: Next week… I’ll be in Altissia. Phone won’t have good signal. Light a candle at the funeral for me? Thank Pelna for helping look after me?_  
 _Ravus: Of course. Don’t worry. Stay safe._  
 _Luna: I will. Love you._  
 _Ravus: Love you too_

* * *

 

Fireworks lit up the night sky around the Caelum Via. Gold and blue, colours that belonged to both Lucis and Niflheim. Lucian nobility and politicians were mingling amongst their Imperial counterparts peacefully for the first time in two centuries. It was a historic event. Attendees were all honoured to be part of it.

Perhaps the two most important people in attendance were King Regis and Emperor Idola Aldercapt. Without them, there would be no truce, no meeting between the two nations. The few press teams allowed at the event were desperate for photos of the two together. They would make the front page for sure. Both rulers indulged them for a short while before excusing themselves to have a more private conversation.

“A most grand reception, King Regis. You honour all of Niflheim,” the Emperor said.

King Regis bowed his head respectfully. “Oh, the honour is ours, Emperor Aldercapt. You have ventured far to grace us with your presence.”

The Emperor chuckled slightly. “It was the very least I could do. Tomorrow will be a historic day for both our nations.” He swept his arm out, gesturing at the city sprawling out around them. “And your Insomnia is truly a marvel! My own cities pale in comparison. I pray we are able to take away much from this visit.”

Regis didn’t think he was talking about architectural inspiration.

To the side, Lord Prompto was walking around awkwardly. Several of the nobles around him bowed or curtseyed as he passed. Prompto awkwardly waved at them. He knew that they were only treating him with such respect because of his position as Oracle. He scanned the crowd, looking for familiar faces that weren’t Nyx, the Emperor, the Chancellor, or King Regis. His eyes fell upon a member of the Kingsglaive who was standing guard.

Recognising him as the man who’d escorted him earlier, Prompto approached him. “Heya.”

The Glaive turned his head and bowed slightly. “Your Highness.”

“I err… didn’t catch your name earlier,” Prompto said. “I’m Prompto. But I guess… guess you already knew that.”

“I did, Your Highness. And my name doesn’t matter,” the Glaive replied. “I’m just here to do my job.”

“You’re supposed to be guarding me while I’m here, right?” Prompto asked. The Glaive nodded. “Soooo… if I’m going to be seeing a lot of you, shouldn’t I know your name?”

“I…” the Glaive struggled to respond. “Ravus. Ravus Fleuret.”

That caught Prompto’s attention. “Are you related to somebody called Lunafreya?”

“She’s my little sister,” Ravus replied. “How do you know her?”

“She looked after my dog when he got lost in Lucis. I wrote her a letter, thanking her. And Noct talks about her a lot, when we write to each other,” Prompto said. “Small world, huh? Has she gone with Noct?”

Ravus nodded.

“Hey… um… I heard from the King that he’d sent a Glaive to come and find me. Do you know where I can find them. I want to say thanks for bothering,” Prompto said.

“I’m afraid that can’t happen,” Ravus replied. “He… Pelna… he’s gone. Died on the mission.”

Prompto’s eyes widened. This Glaive had been sent to get him safely out of Tenebrae and had died trying. He spared a sideways glance at the Emperor. Something really was going on here. Gulping, Prompto looked down at his feet.

“Sorry. I’m really, really sorry,” he said.

“It’s not your fault. They’re still investigating,” Ravus said. He pulled something out of his pocket. An ornate silver brooch. “Pelna was planning on giving it to you. A gift.”

“It’s really nice. Thank you. I’ll keep it with me,” Prompto replied.

He fixed the brooch onto his shirt. When it was secured, he looked up and smiled at Ravus. The Glaive eyed him wearily before giving him a sad smile back. He suddenly dropped the smile and stood to attention. Prompto frowned in confusion before looking behind him. Chancellor Izunia was walking towards them.

The Chancellor was creepy. There wasn’t really any other way to say. Every time Prompto had seen him, he couldn’t shake this feeling of foreboding. Being around the Chancellor made him feel scared. It was something about the way he looked at Prompto. There was something almost predatory in his eyes.

It was very unnerving.

“Lord Prompto! Getting to know the locals, I see. How… diplomatic of you,” Izunia said, placing a hand on Prompto’s shoulder.

“Y-yeah.”

“I believe Lord Ulric is looking for you. Run along, dear Oracle. Don’t keep your cousin waiting,” Izunia instructed.

As Prompto muttered a quick ‘good-bye’ and made his way towards his cousin, Izunia stared at Ravus with critical eyes. To his credit, Ravus didn’t make his discomfort visible. The Chancellor clapped his hands together.

“Aren’t you a specimen?” he cried. “And living in Insomnia! A Glaive, no less! I didn’t even know it was possible!”

“Can I help you, my Lord?” Ravus asked.

Izunia chuckled. “Oh no. It’s far too late to make any progress with you. What a pity. What a pity.”

The Chancellor walked off. Ravus rubbed at his right wrist, thoroughly unnerved.

* * *

 

Thank the Six that Nyx had allowed him to leave the party. Prompto had made up some excuse of still being jet-lagged and wanting to rest before the signing the next morning. Nyx told the rest of the party and Prompto was allowed to return to his room in the hotel. His cousin seemed pretty annoyed at the fact that Prompto got to leave but he was expected to stay.

Even though he’d returned to his room, Prompto didn’t go to bed. He hadn’t even bothered changing clothes. Instead, he grabbed his camera and headed for the balcony attached to his room. Insomnia was such an impressive city; he wanted to take as many photos of it as he could. When he next saw Noct, they could talk about the photos.

“Why do you take photos?” Prompto whipped around and came face-to-face with his mother’s killer. General Glauca. “You. You take photos and you pray and you pine for a prince in a faraway city.”

“Why are you here?” Prompto asked. “What’s the Empire planning?”

“That is none of your concern,” Glauca replied.

Prompto slowly moved towards the room. “There isn’t really a treaty, is there? Why are we here?”

“No. There is no treaty. You are here to be a glittering distraction. Bait.”

Glauca reached his arm out towards Prompto. He ducked and ran into the room. Prompto could hear the armoured general following after him. Panicking, he grabbed the closest thing to him. A decorative vase. He threw it towards General Glauca’s general direction. As Prompto ran towards the door, he heard a satisfying smash.

His hand closed around the handle and he was about to yank the door open when he felt it push inside. The suddenness caught Prompto off-guard and he fell to the ground. In desperation, Prompto closed his eyes and tried to summon the Trident. It didn’t come. Silently praying to any of the Six who would listen, Prompto opened his eyes. Imperial soldiers were surrounding him, having shed their guises as escorts and aides. Glauca was standing behind him.

Nyx walked into the room. “I’m sorry, Prompto.”

“What’s going on, Nyx?” Prompto asked. “Why are you doing this?”

“We need to move fast. He must be in position by sunrise or the entire operation fails,” Glauca said.

“That’s not my responsibility, Glauca,” Nyx snarled. “Did the mission details not get through that metal head of yours? I’d be happy to remind you.”

Glauca took a menacing step towards Nyx. “Remember your position, Ulric.”

Nyx glared at Glauca before walking towards Prompto. He pulled his cousin up to his feet before shoving a gag into his mouth. Prompto tried to protest and struggle, only for Glauca to grab his arms. The soldiers around them parted and Glauca began to drag Prompto to the door. He tried his best to kick himself free, only for Glauca to tighten his hold. Nyx was talking into a radio unit. His eyes met Prompto’s and he mouthed ‘I’m sorry’. Prompto only stared at him with sad eyes, the betrayal evident on his face.

“Attention all Niflheim units. This is Nyx Ulric,” Nyx said into his radio, watching as Prompto was dragged away. “The Oracle is being moved to the target zone. Begin final preparations for the operation.” He heard a smash as Prompto knocked a vase off. He cut the connection. “I am so damn sorry, Prompto.”

* * *

 

_Day of the Signing Ceremony_

_“Happy motherfucking Solstice,”_ Pelna said, waving an empty beer can. Ravus was watching a video taken at their Summer Solstice party almost eight years ago. _“Hey Luna! Wanna see me do a backflip off the table?”_

 _“Not really,”_ Luna said, holding Libertus’ ponytail back as he puked into a bucket.

 _“Dammit Ravus! I told you not to bring Luna along!”_ Crowe yelled. _“You moron. She’s too young to see all of us get drunk. Pelna, don’t you dare backflip off that table. If doing that doesn’t break your spine, I will.”_

Ravus smiled sadly as he stopped the video. He pulled his jacket on. Drautos had called earlier, saying he was to report to the palace. Niflheim were asking to personally escort Lord Prompto to the ceremony itself. Ravus would resume his duties during the ball that was being planned for afterwards. He’d tried to pass it off to Crowe or Libertus so that he wouldn’t have even a chance of running into the Chancellor again. Drautos refused his request.

Grabbing Pelna’s watch (so that he could keep his friend close with him), Ravus headed out of the apartment. The streets were extremely busy with people making their way towards the citadel. Ravus just gestured at his jacket to get people to move. As he walked, he fitted his ear-piece in. No sooner than he’d put it in did it start beeping.

 _“Ravus? You with Lord Prompto?”_ Crowe asked.

“No. I’m on my way to the palace,” Ravus replied.

 _“It’s just, the Nifs have left the hotel. They’re supposed to be having breakfast at some famous restaurant in the northern districts. But the Oracle wasn’t with them,”_ Crowe said. _“And the Watch got reports of a disturbance coming from the hotel last night.”_

This made Ravus pause. That sounded suspicious. As he thought it over, he moved to adjust his watch. That’s when it hit him. The watch. Pelna had been messing around with it shortly before he left, directly in front of the brooch. His friend had seemed fairly determined to give it as a gift to the Oracle, despite not being at all religious.

Checking the watch showed a set of numbers underneath the time. Ravus had assumed it was some fancy function Pelna had. Looking at them closely revealed that they were coordinates. They’d been moving last night when Ravus had taken the watch out. Now they were still.

“Crowe, I’m going to give you coordinates. I need you to use the surveillance equipment to check what’s there. You are at HQ, right?” Ravus said.

 _“Yeah. I’m there. What are the coordinates?”_ Crowe asked. Ravus read them off, continuing on his way to the palace. He heard the sound of keys clicking and then a muffled curse. _“They’re out in Leide. And there’s a fleet of Imperial airships. How did you know there was something out there?”_

“The brooch. It’s a tracker connected to Pelna’s watch,” Ravus replied. “Listen. I’m almost at the palace. I’ll speak to the king. Crowe, I need you to get the Glaive to prepare to deploy. Is the captain there?”

_“No. And Libertus has tried to contact him. Just static. He rang in earlier to say he’ll be busy organising the Crownsguard with Marshal Gentiana.”_

“Prepare everyone anyway.”

_“Without Drautos?”_

“Aren’t you technically third-in-command? Tell Luché what’s happening and get everyone ready. I’ll clear it with His Majesty.”

_“Got it. Hurry the fuck up, Ravus.”_

He didn’t need to be told twice. He pushed past the crowd as he got into the citadel. Members of the Watch tried to stop him for ID but Ravus just gestured at his jacket and yelled for them to check for Ravus Fleuret. The crowds were chattering excitedly as Ravus made his way up to the palace. There was the vague sound of protestors from just outside the citadel.

Ravus hurried into the castle and made his way to the throne room. Aides rushed to stop him. “I need to speak with the King. It’s urgent.”

“The King is busy,” an aide said. “Can it wait until after the signing?”

“If I don’t see him now, there may not _be_ a signing,” Ravus snapped. “The safety of Insomnia is at stake! I need to see King Regis _now_!”

One of the aides rushed into the throne room. Ravus waited for him to return. The door opened. “The King will see you, Glaive.”

It took almost no for him to run in. He ran halfway across the room before sinking to his knees. “Your Majesty.”

“Ravus Fleuret. What is this ‘urgent matter’?” King Regis asked.

“We’ve discovered a large group of Imperial airships a few miles out of Insomnia,” Ravus said. “We believe that they have Lord Prompto.”

“What?!” Regis exclaimed. “Are you certain?”

“Not entirely, but we have evidence that points to this being the case,” Ravus replied. “Your Majesty, the Glaive awaits your orders.”

The king took a moment to consider it. “Have the Glaive infiltrate these ships. Retrieve Prompto. Clarus, is your team of guards on standby?”

“Of course,” Clarus said.

“Good. Tell them to be prepared for a fight,” Regis said. “We may have to take Emperor Aldercapt into custody.”

“That would go beyond a new declaration of war!” Clarus exclaimed.

“We are still at war, Clarus!” King Regis reminded him. “They are the ones who have brought their weapons to our nation. It is still our lands, after all. They are the ones who have kidnapped the husband-to-be of our Prince, who just so happens to the Oracle! Ravus, when can the Glaive deploy?”

“When you give the orders, sire.”

“Then go. Rescue Prompto.”


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Side: Ravus - Ravus and his fellow Glaives take on an Imperial fleet to find the missing Oracle.  
> Side: Regis - The time of signing is here and still Prompto is in Imperial custody. Regis realises that peace was never an option at all.  
> Side: Libertus and Crowe - A pair of Glaives are thrust into fighting as the Empire's true motives are revealed.
> 
> Alternatively, it all starts going to shit.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is split into three 'sides'. They (roughly) happen simultaneously which is why they have been separated in this way instead of just using line breaks. This is the only chapter that does this and basically, enjoy it. It's all going to shit but what did we expect from a fic that's closely following Kingsglaive.
> 
> Also, friendly reminder to READ DE NOVO IT'S IN THE PROMPTO/NOCTIS TAG AND IT'S BEAUTIFUL FATESWAP FIC AND MINE PALES IN COMPARISON.
> 
> Enjoy.

** Chapter six **

_Side: Ravus_

It was while they were scouting the airships when Drautos finally got in touch with the Glaive. Crowe and Libertus were hanging back to act as support for the Watch in the citadel. Ravus and Luché had command of the team that was taking on the airships. Drautos essentially told them to go ahead and that they had two objectives: rescue Prompto and stop the enemy forces from reaching Insomnia.

The ships were laying low in a canyon several miles away from the edges of the wall. Ravus and Luché stood behind rocks at the top of the canyon. Luché nodded at Ravus, prompting him to give a hand signal. In rows of three, Glaives jumped off the edge of the canyon and began warping towards the airships. Luché and Ravus pulled their masks up and performed their own jump, heading towards the middle airship. They’d confirmed that was where Prompto was being held.

When the pair had landed, the airships began to move. Ravus could just about see a frown on Luché’s face. This wasn’t a good sign. Luché looked up and gave Ravus the signal to get moving. Checking the watch quickly, Ravus made his way to an air vent and climbed inside.

“Captain, I’m in,” he whispered into the comms.

 _“Do not engage the enemy until instructed,”_ Drautos replied. _“The ceremony is under way. Let’s wait and see how Niflheim plays this. Locate the Oracle.”_

“Understood,” Ravus said on the private frequency. He switched to the one connected to all Glaives. “Do not engage the enemy until instructed, Captain’s orders.”

Replies came through as Ravus began to crawl through the vent. He’d finally figured what the hell was up with Pelna’s watch and had his coordinates displayed above the brooch’s. Heading in the direction where he thought the brooch was, he kept an eye out for guards. Seeing none, Ravus kicked the vent open and dropped into the corridor.

Keeping a look out for threats, Ravus kept checking the watch and made his way to the coordinates. Something felt very wrong. Where were all the guards? He hadn’t even come across any MTs. It was like a ghost ship. Ravus tried to call Luché in but only got static. Perhaps the guards had found him.

It was that moment when Ravus realised that he really didn’t care about the asshole. The guards could have him for all Ravus cared.

Peering around a corner revealed two guards standing outside a door. Checking the watch revealed the coordinates were behind the door. Ravus tapped comms. “Two hostiles guarding a door. Target believed to be behind the door.”

 _“Make it quick and quiet. Don’t draw attention to yourself,”_ Drautos ordered.

Keeping these orders in mind, Ravus grabbed one of his knives. He threw it at the closest guard, aiming for a gap in their armour. Neither guard had chance to react before he warped. Ravus stabbed the other knife past the helmet of the second guard and twisted the knife stuck in the first. Both dropped to the ground.

Grabbing the keycard from one of the newly-deceased soldiers, Ravus opened the door. It opened to a small cell. Inside that cell was Lord Prompto. The young Oracle was sat on the ground, knees pulled to his chest. He looked up as Ravus walked into the room. His face lit up. Then it fell.

“You need to get back to Insomnia! This is the Empire’s plan, to use me as bait!” he exclaimed. “General Glauca’s in the city. They’re planning an attack! They wanted the Kingsglaive out of the city! Please, just go back!”

Ravus paused for a second. He tapped at his comms. “This is Ravus. Captain, can you give me an update on the city?”

Silence.

“Drautos, I’m with the Oracle. He’s saying that Glauca’s in the city. Drautos, _come in_!”

Silence.

“Drautos!” Ravus screamed into the comms. He growled and shut it off. “I think that attack’s already started.”

“I need to get to Insomnia,” Prompto said, pulling himself up from the ground. “I need to see King Regis.”

“And if there’s an attack taking place?” Ravus asked. “You would be a target.”

“I know. And I’m scared, okay?” Prompto replied. “But I have to. It’s my duty. I’m not that good at being a graceful, inspiring Oracle. I’m not my mother. But I’m supposed to stand by the King and if they’re attacking Insomnia, Noct is at risk too. Better give them a more appealing target.”

Ravus sighed. “Come on then. But you’ll have to listen to what I tell you. Understood, my Lord?”

“Gotcha.”

Scanning the corridor for any incoming Nifs, Ravus slowly stepped out and gestured for Prompto to follow. The Oracle stayed close to him as they made their way through the ship. Ravus intended to find a smaller ship and pilot it towards just outside Insomnia. They made their way towards what Ravus assumed was the main deck, still not running into any guards.

They entered. What they saw inside was not what they wanted to see. Glaives were fighting Glaives. Prompto took a look outside the nearby window.

“Err… not good,” he said.

Ravus spared a quick glance and he had to agree with that assessment. They were about to fly over Insomnia, which had no Wall protecting it. Ravus looked back to the fighting before him. He realised that several of the Glaive were evidently traitors.

Definitely not good.

* * *

 

_Side: Regis_

Guards had been posted outside the signing room. Clarus had warned him that it would be seen as a lack of confidence in the treaty but Regis _did not care_. He hadn’t truly had any confidence in it to begin with. The Empire had kidnapped Prompto and Regis would not stand by and allow him to be kept behind locked doors anymore.

His retinue followed behind as Regis made his way towards the signing room. All of them were tense. Regis could practically feel the apprehension coming off of Clarus. Ricard had been twisting his hands together over and over. Lady Fortuna had to gently tap at his wrists to get him to stop.

The guards bowed as the royal retinue approached the signing room. Aides opened the doors. Inside, the Niflheim retinue rose as they entered. A noticeable empty sat next to Lord Ulric. The Lucian council took their seats and Regis went towards the seat next to Emperor Aldercapt. The Emperor acknowledged him with a nod.

“Forgive my delay. A bit of unforeseen trouble,” Regis said as they all sat.

“Nothing too vexing, I hope,” Aldercapt replied.

“A simple theft. Nothing more.”

“A daring thief, to steal from the king. Perhaps magical walls and castle gates do not keep all things safe.”

“Perhaps. But no matter. That which was taken will soon be returned.”

“Impressive! You are a paragon of kingly composure!”

Regis rolled his eyes as subtly as he could. “Thank you, Your Excellency.”

Aldercapt wasn’t done. “But I must ask, how can you be so sure?”

Yup. They were both definitely talking about Prompto. “Because this thing is no mere trinket. It possesses a will all its own. Enough to break any thief’s grasp.”

“Hmm. That sounds like a very fine prize indeed,” Aldercapt commented.

The two rulers finished their conversation then. Cameras started to set up within the room. The signing was being broadcast across both Lucis and Niflheim. As they were setting up, Clarus got up from his seat and walked over to Regis. He leant down towards his king’s ear.

“Confirmation has arrived. The Glaives have recovered the Oracle.”

Regis nodded at him and Clarus returned to his seat. Looking up at the clock across the room, Regis began to get up from his seat. The signing was about to take place, whether the Kingsglaive took action against the airships or not. Regis had to maintain the guise of accepting the treaty until events meant it was no longer an option. Next to him, Emperor Aldercapt also stood. They walked towards the table.

“Have you found your thief?” Aldercapt asked.

“We have. And what was stolen remains intact,” Regis replied.

“Joyous news. I am glad to hear it,” Aldercapt said, voice not overly happy.

King Regis paused before the table. “Tell me, how heavy a sentence does the crime of theft carry in your Empire?”

“Among the heaviest. Although there is one exception.”

“What is that?”

“A curious old law I still permit in the outlands. A thief who escapes his captor can no longer be held to account for his crime.”

A thinly-veiled promise: Emperor Aldercapt was not planning on being taken by Lucis for kidnapping Prompto and being held to account for _his_ crime.

“A warning to the victim,” Regis said. “Never show weakness lest you forgo the hand of justice.”

Aldercapt shook his head as the treaty was placed on the table. “Oh no, good King. Far from it. It is a warning to the hand of justice itself, so that it may never loose its grip.”

Explosions were heard and the castle shook. Regis realised that Niflheim was now making its move. Sure enough, Aldercapt was removing a gun from his jacket. Regis through his hand out and summoned one of the Armiger, his own personal sword, to him. The sounds of weapons being summoned filled the room. Regis glared at the Emperor as the room stood in stalemate.

More explosions shook the castle and Regis felt a shift in his magic. It felt as if a weight had been lifted from his shoulders. A weight that he knew to be the Wall.

They were taking the crystal.

“The crystal will not serve you!” Regis yelled.

“Nor you,” Aldercapt replied, voice calm. “Once I take it from this accursed city.”

The windows shattered as MTs dropped through them. Mechanical bodies hit the ground. They pulled themselves up and began shooting at the Lucian nobles who were without magic or couldn’t get a shield up in time. Those with magic created shields to protect as many of them as they could. Most of the Emperor’s retinue began to calmly leave the room. Nyx Ulric stood near the side, watching the shooting.

Lowering his shield, Regis channelled his magic into a powerful lightning strike. He blasted the MTs, completely destroying them. With the threat gone, the surviving council members lowered their shields.

“We must escape while we can,” Clarus said. “Regis-”

“No, Clarus. I believe escape is now impossible,” Regis replied.

Through the broken windows another Niflheim threat came.

General Glauca.

* * *

 

_Side: Libertus and Crowe_

Crowe felt a sense of defeat as they watched King Regis enter the throne room. Her and Libertus were watching the events on a screen in the citadel, just outside the palace. They’d both been pretty annoyed when Drautos ordered them to remain behind. Unfortunately, they couldn’t do anything to change that.

For the past ten minutes, they’d been trying to get updates from Ravus only to get static. Both of them were starting to get anxious about what was going on at his end. Libertus was half-ready to steal a car and head out of Insomnia to join Ravus. Crowe had told him that he was being a complete and utter idiot. Ravus would be fine, she’d told him. If Crowe tried not to think about it, she could completely believe it.

On the screen, the King and the Emperor were talking. Discussing the treaty, no doubt. Did Aldercapt know that the Glaives were infiltrating his ships?

“Ravus had better hurry up and do something that stops this damn ceremony,” Libertus muttered.

“Shut up,” Crowe hissed, very aware that there were civilians not too far away. “We-”

She was cut off by explosions coming from the palace. Crowe grabbed onto Libertus’ arm as the ground shook. On the screen, they could see the two delegations aiming weapons at each other before the video cut off. Civilians around them started screaming. More explosions, this time coming from a higher part of the palace.

The crystal chamber to be exact.

Both Crowe and Libertus watched in horror as the Wall shattered above them. Niflheim airships began to fly into Insomnia. Ravus and the other Glaives obviously hadn’t been able to stop them. Crowe tried the comms again; only static came through. She shook her head at Libertus when he gave her an expectant look.

Airships began landing in the citadel, dropping Imperial soldiers and MTs. Both Glaives didn’t waste any time warping to the hostiles and taking out as many as they could with magic. Crowe did her best to fight without agitating her broken wrist. That being said, she did use her cast as a weapon by slamming it into the face of a soldier whose helmet had been knocked off. She could deal with the pain.

More and more airships were arriving. Crowe and Libertus waited desperately for some kind of order to come through. Nothing came. The few Crownsguard in the citadel were starting to get civilians out and towards evacuation points. The Glaives took it upon themselves to divert hostile attention away from them.

“Glaives!” Crowe looked over her shoulder to see Marshal Gentiana approaching them. “Any word from the rest of your order?”

“None, sir!” Libertus replied, blasting at incoming MTs.

The Marshal regarded the enemy units with cold eyes. “We will not be able to hold the citadel. Drautos is unresponsive. I am taking direct control of the situation.”

“Orders?” Crowe asked.

“I have men willing to distract the enemy while we evacuate as many people as we can,” Gentiana replied. “The two of you will go to the King. He is protecting something Niflheim want.”

“Yeah, they just got the crystal!” Libertus yelled.

Gentiana grabbed a gun from a fallen soldier and began shooting. “That is not all they want. Glaives, go to the King. Follow his orders. Take out as many enemy units without jeopardizing yourselves. If you spot traitors, destroy them.”

“Traitors?!” Crowe asked.

“They directly targeted weak spots in the palace,” Gentiana replied. “They knew where to find them. There are traitors. Go to the King. My Crownsguard will begin the evacuation.”

Not wanting to argue with one of the few people Captain Drautos was afraid of, Crowe and Libertus nodded, saluted, and ran into the palace. A single man in civilian clothes was standing in the foyer. He was holding some kind of remote. Crowe and Libertus slowly approached him. He was frantically mumbling something under his breath.

“The day of reckoning is come. The dawn of a new era is here.”

“Hey you! Stop right there!” Crowe yelled.

The man turned in surprise and reached for a gun. Libertus warped to him and knocked him to the ground. The man looked up in shock as Libertus turned his head and puked to the side of him. Crowe snickered in the background.

“Nice one,” she said.

“Shut it!” Libertus snapped. He turned to the man he was pinning on the ground. “Who the hell are you?!”

“Bringer of a new era,” the man replied. “The King will pay. They will give us new homes.”

“I know you. You live near me. You’re a refugee,” Crowe said. Her eyes widened. “Wait, you’re Empire?!”

“They promised us,” the man said.

“You’re betraying your home!” Libertus yelled. “Did you set the bombs?!” Silence. He punched the man in the face. “Answer me, dammit!”

“Y-yes.”

“Who told you where to put them?!” Crowe yelled.

“Glauca.”

Libertus and Crowe stared at him. That wasn’t the answer they’d been expecting. How did the general of Niflheim know where the weak points were in Insomnia?

“Who are the traitors?!” Libertus demanded.

“Death… to… to the… King.”

Realising that he didn’t have time for an interrogation, Libertus slit the man’s throat. Crowe picked up the remote while Libertus shoved the corpse to the side. He shook the puke that he’d stepped in off of his shoe.

“Let’s get to King Regis,” he muttered.

Crowe nodded at him and together they ran towards the signing room. They could still try and save their King at least.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you undefinable higher deity for YouTube subtitles because otherwise writing the Regis and Alderapt conversation would have taken me much longer.
> 
> Next chapter: Everything goes to further shit.


	7. Chapter 7

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> King and Oracle are reunited once more and the true desire of the Empire is revealed to the Glaives around them.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> PLEASE READ
> 
> So what is actually up with the Trident? Luna can't seemingly summon it at will, but Noctis can? Why?
> 
> I ended up making it so that in the fic that Prompto struggles to summon it but can without Cor's help in a time of need. Meh. It's fanfic. Who needs rules.
> 
> Enjoy!

** Chapter seven **

There was no way for Ravus to tell which Glaives were traitors and which ones weren’t. The traitors obviously knew the difference and they probably would be coming for him and Prompto. He gestured for Prompto to head back into the corridor. Before either of them took a step, the airship began to shake. Another ship started to crash through it. Ravus grabbed a hold of Prompto’s arm and pulled him along.

They began to run through the airship as it started falling towards the ground. Ravus had a rough idea of where they were storing the smaller dropships. If he could get a hold of one of those, they could head to the palace. Then they could fulfil Prompto’s stupid mission. Ravus was slightly tempted to leave Prompto behind and get out of Insomnia and find Luna. Luna was with the prince; if anyone was going to have a target on their back it would be him.

“Ravus?” Luché was stood in front of them. “What’s going on?”

“Luché, there’s traitors amongst the Glaive and…”

Getting onto the ships had been too easy. Finding Prompto had been too easy. It had been a trap, that was for sure. But it all depended on the Glaives having the tracker.

_“Luché helped me pick it out.”_

“Ravus! Look out!” Prompto yelled.

There was barely time to dodge as Luché lunged at him. His former friend tried to strike once more, catching Ravus’ left arm. Ravus brought his knife towards Luché’s, knocking it away from his arm. The two exchanged several more blows. Ravus grabbed his second knife and threw it over Luché’s shoulder. He warped and kicked Luché’s back.

“Shame Pelna didn’t figure it out like you did,” Luché snarled, blocking Ravus’ next strike. “He thought I was friendly until the second I killed him.”

Enraged, Ravus kicked him in the chest. “Why?! After everything Niflheim has done?!”

“Because the King was making false promises! We were never going to win this war! We were just his pawns!” Luché yelled.

He lunged towards Ravus. He was stopped as three sharp points impaled him from behind. Luché was able to spare a shocked glance downwards before falling to the ground, dead. Prompto stood behind him, holding an ornate trident. He looked slightly shocked, slightly horrified.

“Never been able to summon it properly. Guess now was as good a time as any,” he said, voice shaking somewhat. “Your arm.”

“It’s nothing,” Ravus said.

He tore a strip of fabric off of Luché’s uniform and began to wrap it around his cut. He was stopped by a hand on his. Prompto took a step closer to him and placed a hand loosely over the wound. His hand began to glow and Ravus watched in shock as his wound began to rapidly heal. He looked up at Prompto’s face and the young Oracle smiled at him.

“How the hell-”

“Oracle thing.”

Ravus just nodded silently. The ship shook violently. “Let’s… let’s just find a dropship to steal.”

* * *

 

Finding the ship hadn’t been too hard. Unfortunately, the ship had been damaged in all the chaos. It would fly, but not for long. Ravus and Prompto ran into it and Ravus took the controls. They’d taken some Imperial ships after a fight and figured out how to fly them. Ravus was very grateful for this right now.  They managed to fly out of the larger ship before it collided with a skyscraper. More airships were slowly starting to arrive, no longer impeded by the wall.

Prompto sat in the co-pilot seat, anxiously holding on to his trident. He’d refused to let it dematerialize, worried that if he did he wouldn’t be able to summon it once more. As they flew, Ravus managed to get his phone out his jacket and attempted to call Luna. He only managed to reach her answerphone. He gave up after five tries, deciding to finally resort to leaving a message.

“Lunafreya, I love you. If I don’t call you within the next few days… I’ll try not to let all of this kill me. I’m assuming you’re still with Noctis. Get the prince somewhere safe. The Empire will be after him. And Luna… stay safe, sister. I love you.”

“Noct and Luna are close, huh?” Prompto asked once he was done with the message.

“They are,” Ravus replied. “Lunafreya… Luna became friends with the prince when she was ten. I was a little shocked, since she’d never been close to anyone besides myself and members of the Glaive. But they became close friends. Almost like twins.”

Prompto chuckled slightly. “That might be my fault, y’know? I sent a letter to Luna when Umbra came back. Mentioned Noct and how lonely he was. Soon after, she appeared in the photo album Noct and I send back and forth.”

“How did you send it? I don’t imagine the Empire would allow you to contact Lucis.”

“They uh, they didn’t? It’s… I have magical dogs.”

“Right.”

“You don’t believe me.”

“It does sound farfetched.”

“Dude, I healed your arm, like, five minutes ago.”

“Everyone has heard legends about the Oracle having the ability to heal. But magical dogs? I’m sorry, Your Highness. That’s stretching things.”

“They’re an Oracle thing too! Cor says that Pryna and Umbra are Messengers. They’re magical beings dedicated to the Oracle. How else would I have been able to send Luna a letter while I was being held captive all the way in Tenebrae?”

“Point taken. Did they limit your contact with people that much?”

“Not all the time! They’d let me out of the palace to do Oracle duties. Healing, blessing, festivals, stuff like that. I think that’s because they were scared the Six would retaliate or something. Or to stop open rebellion? I don’t know. I guess I’m lucky though. Most people aren’t when the Empire comes for their home.”

“No… we aren’t. Luna and I… we had a home once. It was destroyed when Luna was five and we ran to Galahd. Then Galahd was attacked three years later and we came to Lucis. The two of us and several friends who joined the Glaive. We’re the only family Luna has.”

“That’s… that’s terrible. I’m sorry it happened.”

“It’s not your fault.”

“Umm… I lost my mom. To the Empire. I was eight.”

“When they attacked in hopes of killing the King and Prince Noctis. I heard.”

“Yeah… Look out!”

Ravus didn’t need Prompto’s warning. He could see the rapidly approaching palace. Ravus swore and tried to swerve out of the way. Unfortunately, that was the moment that the damaged engines chose to completely cut out. Ravus tried to get as close to the balconies as possible before opening the ship’s hatch. He gestured for Prompto to follow him. They ran to the hatch, Prompto still clutching his trident.

“We have to jump,” Ravus said.

“We have to do what?!” Prompto exclaimed. “That’s crazy!”

“The other option is dying!” Ravus yelled.

He didn’t give Prompto a chance to argue before pulling him close, lifting him up, and jumping when they got close enough to the balconies. The pair hit the ground hard, knocking them off their feet. When the rolling stopped, Ravus helped pull Prompto up to his feet.

“What do we do now?” Prompto asked.

Ravus checked to see if his knives were in their sheaths. “We go to the King.”

* * *

 

Lord Highwind and Lady Clypeus lay dead behind him. The corpses of his council littered the room. Only Clarus was left standing with him. Regis grit his teeth and flung another bolt of lightning at General Glauca. Clarus took his chance and swung him, knocking him backwards further. Regis summoned more of the Armiger to him and threw them at Glauca.

It was at this moment that Nyx Ulric stepped out of the shadows and swiped at Clarus with his dagger. It caught his shoulder. Before the younger man could do any damage, a blast of fire knocked him away from Clarus. Regis and Clarus turned their heads to see two Glaives enter the room. Crowe Altius and Libertus Ostium, if Regis remembered correctly. Friends of young Lunafreya.

The pair ran to their King and stood defensively in front of him. Crowe began to speak. “Marshal Gentiana sent us. The Crownsguard are evacuating as many as possible.”

“Thank you. But if you do not want to fight, I will not force you to. These are not your battles,” Regis replied.

Libertus blasted fire at an approaching Glauca. “You kidding? We ain’t gonna let these Niflheim bastards kill ya. Your magic’s the only thing that can stand against ’em. Besides. Can’t let Ravus have all the fun.”

“Don’t worry, Your Majesty. We’re not going anywhere,” Crowe added.

Together, they rushed towards Glauca. Armed only with knives, they kept up their continuous strikes. Neither of them remained uninjured. Clarus switched to a shield and was able to hold up against Nyx. Regis used timed blasts of magic to strike both enemies. He primarily targeted Glauca; he didn’t truly want to harm the nephew of his old friend, Sylva.

Glauca managed to knock both Crowe and Libertus to the ground. He ran at Regis and managed to strike his hand before he could unleash any magic. At the same time, Nyx kicked Clarus into the wall and the doors to the room opened. In came Ravus and Prompto. Regis felt his ring slip from his hand and watched it roll across the floor. Nyx walked over to it and picked it up.

“Doesn’t seem right. All of this for a rock and a ring,” he said. “But if I can use this, then hey. I might be able to take down the Empire. No more climbing my way up to destroy it from within.”

“Nyx, don’t!” Prompto yelled.

The world seemed to move in slow motion as Nyx placed the Ring of the Lucii onto his finger. Glauca rushed to strike him. Nyx suddenly fell to the ground and Glauca’s sword hit the ground near him. His arm was burning and the ring rolled back towards Regis. The King placed it back on his finger and blasted Glauca backwards with lightning. Crowe got in a shot of her own.

“Quickly!” Regis yelled. “Follow me!”

There was a reason he’d chosen that specific room for the signing ceremony. At the back of the room there was a concealed elevator. With Clarus supporting him, Regis opened it up. Ravus and Libertus were both striking at Glauca. Crowe dragged Prompto to the elevator before he could go to Nyx. Both Ravus and Libertus warped into the elevator. All three Glaives and the King shot lightning at Glauca, knocking him to a wall. The elevator doors closed and they began to descend.

“Is everyone okay?” Regis asked.

He got a chorus of positive answers. Prompto reached to his hand. “Hey, let me-”

“No. Save your strength,” Regis replied.

“What’s the deal with the ring, Your Majesty?” Crowe asked. “That guy seemed to really want it.”

Regis looked at his hand. “The Ring of the Lucii… it holds great power.”

“Couldn’t have used it to get rid of the Empire earlier, huh?” Libertus glared at the King as he spoke.

“Don’t be disrespectful,” Clarus chided. “Where do you think your power comes from? Without the assistance of the Ring, His Majesty wouldn’t be able to power the Wall, grant the Glaives _and_ council magic, and wield his own all at once.”

“I understand how you must feel,” Regis said. “And I am sorry I couldn’t do more. But there is more at stake than you realise. The Empire has a plan to unleash something terrible upon all of Eos.”

“With all due respect, they’ve already done that, Your Majesty. They’ve unleashed themselves,” Ravus interjected.

Prompto nodded. “Yeah but this is worse. And the only thing that can stop it is the Crystal, the Ring, and Noct.”

“My lord, are you sure you should be telling them this?” Clarus said.

“They deserve to know,” Prompto replied. He turned to the Glaives. “Y’know how the nights have slowly been getting longer?” Nods. “Yeah, there’s a prophecy about it. And a King chosen by the Crystal is going to stop what’s causing it. But Niflheim, for whatever reason, doesn’t want that.”

Ravus raised his eyebrows. “Let me guess. Prince Noctis has been chosen. That’s why he’s safely outside Insomnia.”

Libertus sputtered. “Oh, so you send your son to safety and leave the rest of us to burn?!”

“I’m sorry. I did what I could to avoid this,” Regis replied. “But while I cannot use the full potential of the Ring, Noctis will be able to. That is why this must be taken to him.”

He took off the Ring and handed it to Prompto. The young Oracle closed his hand around it.

“Can only royalty use it?” Crowe asked, eyeing Prompto’s hands.

“With certainty, yes. It may judge others worthy, yet the Lucii, the ancient kings within, have exceptionally high standards,” Regis said. “Lord Ulric obviously did not meet them.” He sighed. “I must ask you, not as your King, to guard Prompto and see the Ring to Altissia. Noctis will be there. Clarus, I know you are my Shield but-”

“I won’t abandon you,” Clarus interrupted. “You are my friend before my king, Regis.”

“No, Clarus. You should leave. Go to your children,” Regis said. “As for the rest of you-”

“We’ll go,” Ravus replied. “Or at least, I will.”

“I’m in. I joined the Glaive to give the world a better future. And if this Ring is gonna do that…” Crowe said. She looked expectantly at Libertus.

He shrugged. “You better be telling the truth about this Ring. I guess I’m in too.”

The elevator finally stopped. They walked out of it and into a fairly large circular room. Beautiful pieces of art circled around the wall. A door stood opposite them. They made their way towards it.

“A secret garage is through there. And there is a passageway that will lead you out of the West Gate,” Regis said. “Head for the Sound. Boats will take you to Lestallum. Clarus, the secret harbour in Cape Caem. There should be boats there. They can take you to Altissia.”

His hand slipped from Prompto’s. Slowly, a translucent magical barrier began to grow between the King and the rest of the group. Prompto and Clarus ran to it and beat their hands against it.

“No! Please don’t leave us!” Prompto yelled.

“Regis! Drop the barrier for the Six’s sake!” Clarus roared.

“Prompto, go to Noctis. Be free. I no longer want locked doors to seal your fate. I want both of you to be happy,” Regis said. “Perhaps, one day, you can do all the things you’ve ever wanted to. Ride a chocobo. Do it. Be free. I know your mother would want the same.”

A loud clanging sound came from the elevator. Regis turned to face it. The doors were smashed as General Glauca came plummeting down. The General bowed slightly before Regis, a mocking bow. He lunged towards the King, who blasted him backwards with lightning.

“Behold the King of Lucis, who hoarded tranquillity within his Wall. Where is your tranquillity now?” Somehow he managed to dodge the lightning thrown at him. An armoured fist punched King Regis, spinning him around. “Here is your peace, by steel’s swift descent!”

Glauca’s blade came down.

It stabbed King Regis through the back.

The King dropped to the ground.

Dead.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well what were you all expecting?
> 
> MORE DIFFERENCES:  
> \- Libertus and Crowe are still Glaives and went to help King Regis  
> \- The rebel leader got killed much earlier  
> \- LUCHÉ IS DEAD THE SMARMY ASSHOLE  
> \- Clarus Amicitia lives!
> 
> Similarities:  
> \- Nyx got burnt like Ravus did  
> \- ...  
> \- Listen Regis was voiced by Sean Bean like I said what did you expect


	8. Chapter 8

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Now is the time to run. The Oracle carries the Ring and the Glaives must do what they can to escort both to safety.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Given one point that came up frequently in reviews, I would just like to say: Please don't hate me.

** Chapter eight **

They’d had to drag Clarus away from the barrier. There was no telling as to when the magic would finally fail and the barrier would drop. They ran to the garage. King Regis obviously had the foresight to store weapons there, mostly guns. They’d managed to grab guns, grenades, and a couple of magic flasks. The flasks already had casts loaded into them. Hopefully they would fire off without magic.

Ravus took the driver’s seat and Clarus took the passenger’s. The others climbed into the back, with Prompto sitting between the others. He still had his trident. With Clarus guiding him, Ravus set off down the passage. They’d head to West Gate and take one of the boats across the Lucian Sound. Prompto insisted there was something else he must do before they headed to Altissia. Ravus decided they could wait until they were out of Insomnia for an explanation.

“Anyone else feel weird?” Libertus asked.

“Libertus, if you need to piss, you can wait until we’re out of the city,” Ravus replied.

“Not that kind of weird, asshole,” Libertus snapped. “It’s like there’s something missing in me.”

Crowe nodded next to him. “Me too. It was there a minute ago… now it’s like something’s gone. Kinda feel sick.”

“Please don’t puke on me,” Prompto muttered.

“I feel it too,” Clarus said. “I believe that our magic has finally left us. Because we’d grown so used to it, now that it’s gone we feel empty.”

It made sense. They’d had their magic for several years now and-

“SHIT!” Libertus swore.

The swearing was brought about by somebody shooting at the car. Everyone ducked as best they could. Ravus turned his head to see a van travelling on an adjacent road. Tredd and two other former Glaives were shooting at them alongside Imperial Soldiers. Ravus swore and swerved away. In the back of the car, Crowe had thrown herself over Prompto, in case bullets got into the car.

“What do we do?!” Libertus yelled. “The windows are starting to shatter and we don’t have any damn magic to stop bullets killing us! We’ll all die!”

Clarus looked up slightly. “Hand me one of the guns and some of the magic flasks!”

“You won’t get a clear enough shot, not from the car!” Crowe shouted.

Clarus tilted her head up. “When you get to Lestallum, tell Iris and Gladio that I died for Insomnia, for Regis, and for the future. A future for them.”

Ravus swerved the car again. “Don’t you dare, Lord Clarus! Your kids! Don’t you fucking dare!”

“I am without my magic, without my weapons. I am getting old. I would be a burden,” Clarus said, grabbing the gun that Libertus offered him. “I am the King’s Shield and my King is dead. Tell Iris it is in her hands now. Tell her and Gladio that I love them. And for the gods’ sake, get that bloody ring to Noctis.”

The bag of magic flasks was held out towards him.

“Thank you. To use the vulgarities you Glaives enjoy, I’m going to go fuck them up.”

He took about four of the magic flasks. As Ravus swerved yet again, Clarus opened his door and launched himself from the car. It didn’t take long for him to find his footing and open fire on the van. Before they could shoot him dead (and he had been shot multiple times by now), he began to throw the magic flasks at them. He’d picked well. Fire and thunder mixed together in explosions that shook the entire passage.

Ravus drove onwards while the others looked back and watched as Clarus Amicitia, Shield to the King, was consumed by the flames.

* * *

 

“Gotta feel sorry for the guy who tried that ring on earlier,” Libertus said with a weak laugh.

“That was my cousin,” Prompto mumbled.

Libertus looked slightly awkward. “Well… uh…”

“I don’t know what’s going on in Nyx’s head,” Prompto said. “He’s been working with the Empire for years and… Tenebrae falling hurt us all but Nyx took it hard. Blamed it on the King. Never been able to talk sense into the guy.”

They all fell silent.

Ten miles out from the West Gate they had had to stop. The car wasn’t going much further. A punctured tire. Three punctured tires actually. All the stress they’d put on the car had caused it, meaning they had to find another vehicle or walk to the Gate. At the moment, finding a car or a van was more preferable. Crowe suggested they take it another few miles before walking the rest of the way. They could only hope that they wouldn’t be found by the demons now being let into the city. It was night-time after all.

Nobody had really said much else since Clarus died. They sat in an abandoned kitchen, silently drinking water while the owners’ corpses lay in the sitting room. As horrible as it was, they’d gone and raided the upstairs of the house. They grabbed essentials such as clothes and toiletries. The dead family that owned the house also had a camping set. After that they raided the kitchen cupboards and the fridge. It would be a lot to carry later, but they could share it with other refugees.

“How many of the Glaive do you think were traitors?” Crowe asked, breaking the silence.

“About half, based on what I saw on the ships,” Ravus replied. “Luché was one.”

Libertus made a choked laughing sound. “Slimy asshole. Course he was.”

“Do you think Pelna…?” Crowe trailed off.

“ _No,_ ” Ravus said fiercely. “You knew Pelna. He would _never_.”

Prompto was sat across the room. “I wonder how Niflheim convinced them to join them.”

Ravus opened his mouth but then closed it. Prompto raised an interesting point. Most of the Glaives had been in Insomnia for most of the past twelve years; there was no way Niflheim could have infiltrated and convinced them. Not easily, at least. There need to be a single person who could earn their trust. Somebody inserted by Niflheim at the inception of the Kingsglaive. Somebody who knew exactly where to hide the airships but still make sure they were easily found. It could have been Luché. Though, he was only second… in… command. . .

“Dr-”

The windows shattered. Deranged monsters flew into the room, yellow bat-like creatures. The group all ducked to the floor as the monsters swooped at them.

“How the hell did they find us?!” Libertus yelled.

Ravus grabbed a knife and stabbed one that was coming towards him. Crowe began shooting at them. They couldn’t count how many were in the room. Prompto tried swiping at them with his trident. Most of them were heading towards him. It was as if they _knew_ he was the one with ring. Ravus stabbed another and noticed metal nodes embedded into its back. They reminded him of something.

“The brooch!” he yelled. “It’s a tracker! Throw it to me!”

Prompto did as he was told. Ravus caught the brooch and the monsters slowly began to fly towards him.

“SHIT! We got company!” Libertus shouted.

The wall came crumbling down. Two Niflheim mechs were standing outside, waiting to get them. Crowe automatically started shooting at them. The bullets bounced off. Ravus clutched the brooch to him and ran outside. The monsters continued to follow him. The mechs were firing everywhere; Ravus could feel bullets grazing his arms and legs. He stumbled as one caught his leg properly.

Gritting his teeth, he flung the brooch at one of the mechs. The monsters immediately flew to it, stopping it from taking action. Libertus saw his chance and threw magic flasks at it, blowing it up. He threw more at the other mech, damaging it but not destroying it. Ravus reached down to his leg and pulled the bullet out.

“New plan, we run to West Gate!” Ravus said.

“Sounds good to me!” Crowe yelled.

They made their way towards the destroyed fence. The roars of daemons sounded in the night. It was like a nightmare come to life. They ran as the second mech, the one not destroyed, got back to its feet. Libertus was blindly throwing magic flasks at it while Crowe pulled him to the fence. He started to turn around.

Started.

A hand went to his stomach. A scream left his mouth. Libertus looked down at his blood-covered hand. Crowe tried to pull him further. Libertus pulled his hand back and turned to fully face the mech.

“RUN YOU ASSHOLES! RUN!” he screamed, throwing more magic flasks. “Them damn nobles aren’t the only ones who can go down in a blaze of glory! Get that fucking ring to the Prince! The King! And tell him that Galahd will always welcome him if he brings down them bastard Nifs! RUUUUUUUUN!”

Crowe screamed at him incoherently as Ravus and Prompto pulled her away. She watched as Libertus, down to his last four flasks, grabbed two in each hand. With a loud yell, he ran towards the mech and waited for the flasks to activate. Just as he’d said, he went down in a blaze of glory.

All Crowe did was hysterically scream until Ravus stopped pulling her and shook her. As he held her still, Crowe slowly calmed down. Then she slapped Ravus and Prompto, screaming at them for not stopping Libertus. Ravus screamed back at her, telling her that he would have bled out anyway. Better to let the stubborn idiot go down the way he wanted, destroying something Imperial. Now she had to calm down and keep running with them so that Libertus didn’t die for nothing.

Prompto stood to the side, unsure of what to do. He barely knew these people. They were just running for their lives together.

Crowe’s hand slowly went to her earpiece. “It’s Drautos. He’s trying to find us. Give me a second. I’ll-”

Ravus snatched the comm from her ear. He dropped it to the ground and stepped on it. Crowe looked at him like he was crazy.

“Crowe-”

“Oh no. Don’t you fucking tell me.”

“Think about it-”

“No.”

“Crowe.”

“Dammit! Not after Libertus just died! Not after half the people we know turned out to be our enemies! Don’t tell me he is too. Please, I can’t take this anymore.”

“I’m sorry.”

Crowe took a shuddering breath. She grabbed the guns she’d dropped to the floor and reloaded them. “Let’s just fucking run. Oracle-”

“Considering we’ve all almost died together, I think you can call me Prompto,” Prompto interrupted.

“Prompto. You got the ring still?” Crowe asked.

Prompto nodded. “Don’t worry. That ring isn’t going anywhere.”

“Good. And I’m sorry for slapping you.” Crowe sighed. “West Gate. Sound. Lestallum. What do you need to do before Altissia?”

“Talk to Titan and Ramuh,” Prompto replied. “If Noct’s going to take on an Empire, he’d better have some seriously powerful gods on his side, right? I mean, it’s going to be terrifying as _hell_ to get to them and they might try to kill us but-”

“Talk to the gods. Get them to help the pri- the king. Got it,” Crowe said. “Then Altissia. Then we fuck the Empire in their asses.”

“Prompto,” Ravus said, grabbing the Oracle’s arm. “Assure me. Assure me now that we are not throwing our lives away. That Libertus didn’t die for nothing. Because gods be damned, I will tear this world down if it’s all for nothing.”

“It’s not. I promise,” Prompto replied. “I promise, Ravus.”

“Good.”

With that, they started running again. Daemons were raging in the Citadel, destroying the skyscrapers. Airships flew overhead. People were screaming in the distance. Every now and again, they see members of the Crownsguard. They were keeping to the shadows, getting as many people out as they could. At one point Ravus could have sworn that he’d seen the Marshal herself.

Drautos feared her for a reason.

Five miles to go. They ran into a fairly open space. A roundabout. Ravus signalled for them to take a short rest. His leg was starting to act up. The bleeding was getting heavier now. Prompto leaned down to start to heal him. Ravus gently pushed him away. What the king had said earlier implied that it tired Prompto, doing healings. Better for him to save his strength.

Suddenly, Crowe started screaming in rage. She fired several shots off. Ravus and Prompto turned to see what was going on. Crowe kept firing. Walking towards them was Drautos. He seemed mildly surprised.

The gunshots kept ringing out. And from a nearby airship, one that flew away almost instantly, pieces of armour flew out. They flew down to their owner and after a moment, they were confronted with General Glauca.

Or should I say, Titus Drautos cast away any disguises and revealed who he truly was.

“Uh-oh.” Prompto gulped.

Uh-oh indeed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> LISTEN I AM SORRY BUT FOR PLOT REASONS I NEEDED THAT TO HAPPEN
> 
> BOTH OF THEM
> 
> IT HURT ME
> 
> I AM SORRY
> 
> y'know there's only one more proper chapter left before the epilogue...
> 
> thanks for reading


	9. Chapter 9

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> There is only one option left, and Ravus will be damned if he's going to let one of Eos's last hopes throw his life away to take it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Decided to give you this chapter a little sooner than usual.
> 
> Important reminder: I don't have the stunning graphics that the film did. Words are great but they can only convey so much. If this chapter feels a little bare in comparison to what the film covered, I did my best. I hope you enjoy it anyway.
> 
> Also Ravus is pretty pissed off rn, he's not going to bother talking to somebody he hates or try figuring them out WHEN THE ENTIRE DAMN CITY IS BURNING.

** Chapter nine **

Bullets bounced off Glauca’s armour. They tried to fling magic at him. He deflected the flask and it hit a car, flinging it into the air. The three ducked behind another car as Glauca walked towards him. Crowe looked torn between rage and sadness. Ravus tried a blizzard flask. It slowed him down at the very least. Prompto reached into his pocket and pulled the Ring of the Lucii out.

“Here goes nothing,” he muttered.

Ravus grabbed his hand. “We cannot risk your death. If what you have said is true, then the future of the world rests on your shoulders.”

Before Prompto could protest, Ravus snatched the Ring from his hands. As Glauca leapt at him, he slipped it on to his right index finger. And when he did, the world stopped. Lights around him went out and surrounded him with darkness. An ambient blue light suddenly surrounded Ravus. He looked upwards to see large, translucent blue figures surrounding him.

They reminded Ravus of the towering statues dotted around Insomnia.

_“You call upon the wards of this world’s future, mortal. And if you come lusting for our power you must first stand in our judgement.”_

Face to face with Kings of old, Ravus felt only anger. If they were so powerful, why hadn’t they done anything? It would probably kill him, but at least he could throw his burning body at Glauca so that Prompto and Crowe could escape. Ravus decided to speak his mind.

“Insomnia is burning. The King is dead. The Crown Prince is outside the city and most likely the next target of the Empire. You’re said to hold incredible power. Why not use it? Summon the Wall! Defeat the Imperial forces! You have done nothing!”

_“You do not command us. Yours is not royal blood.”_

_“Do not think, mortal, that we cannot tell what you_ truly _are. Your secrets are laid bare before us.”_

To be honest, Ravus wasn’t surprised that they could tell. He glanced at his right wrist, still covered by a wristband, as always.

_“It does not fall to us to guard your city.”_

“Prince Noctis has been chosen by the Crystal for some important destiny,” Ravus said. “Is it your job to make sure your chosen King fulfills that destiny.”

_“Yes_. _”_

Ravus dragged himself to his feet. “Then why the hell have you done nothing to protect his home?! Do you want your chosen forever mad at you?! Do you want to just leave the Empire to destroy everything and move on, the full force of their military all looking for him?!”

_“Do not presume to lecture us. You have no right.”_

“I HAVE EVERY RIGHT!” Ravus screamed. “You’re all dead men, buried long ago! Me? I’m a living, breathing _human_ being! You claim to be the wards of the future?! Fuck you! There’s no future if we just leave the Empire alone! Your precious Ring’s about to get stolen! Your Oracle, the one person who can help the King, he’s about to die! If you just stay still here and leave it, then it’s all for fucking nothing!”

_“Your worth to wield our power has been judged and found wanting. Burn.”_

“You think I came here just for your power?!” Ravus yelled as his hand began to burn. “I came here to tell you how much you fucked up! I came here to tell you how bad things have gotten!”

_“Do not burn him.”_ Ravus looked up. That was the voice of King Regis. _“I know what he is willing to do to protect Insomnia. To protect the world. He speaks the truth.”_

_“Do you truly believe this, young king?”_

_“Yes. The time has come to take action.”_

_“Very well. Warrior, know this. If you wish for our power, there is a cost. A life. His or hers.”_

Ghostly visions of Crowe and Prompto appeared before Ravus. He stared in horror at them. “Neither.”

_“Then burn and never receive our power.”_

Ravus laughed hollowly. “You are no kings. Not of mine. And I do not care anymore if I burn. I am a member of the Kingsglaive. I am sworn to protect Lucis. If there is nothing more I can do, so be it. My life has no worth. But if I gave it up to protect the future, then maybe it was worth something in the end.”

The burning suddenly stopped.

_“We have misjudged you, Glaive. There is another way. We will grant you our power, but know that it will leave you when the sun rises once more. The cost is still a life. Yours. When the power is gone, your life will end.”_

It was very difficult not to think of Lunafreya. If Ravus died, she lost her only surviving family member. But if he gave up this chance, the Empire’s victory would be certain. Even if Luna survived what would come after, it would be a dark and hollow world. Perhaps the Empire would find her, take her, hurt her. Ravus would give up anything for his sister. Anything.

“Will I need constant contact with the Ring?”

_“No.”_

“Then you have a deal.”

* * *

 

The second he returned to the normal world, Ravus felt the magic within him. He focussed it into his hands the same way he had done for years. Lightning burst forth, knocking Glauca into a building. He didn’t immediately get up and Ravus could only hope that he’d finally killed the bastard. He nodded in satisfaction as Crowe and Prompto stared at him in disbelief. Ravus shrugged.

“So, guess you’re worthy,” Crowe said, eyebrows raised.

“It took some bargaining,” Ravus replied.

“You’re not royal. Damn, what did Cor say about the Ring? Err… Ravus!” Prompto shoved him slightly. “You-”

“I agreed to it,” Ravus interrupted. He slid the Ring off his finger. “I don’t need constant contact. Take the Ring to Altissia. The future depends on it. Take the guns and the flasks. I won’t be needing them.”

Crowe placed a hand on his shoulder. “Sure you’ll be okay?”

“I am. I have… a trump card,” Ravus said. He looked down at his leg. It had healed. “Huh. The Kings must have healed it for me. Prompto, protect this. See it to the King.” He handed the Ring over.

“I will,” Prompto replied. “You can count on me.”

“Crowe-”

“Don’t bother giving me instructions,” Crowe said. “I’ll protect him.”

“Give King Noctis my regards,” Ravus said. “And tell Luna… tell her I’m sorry, but what I did was for the future. For her. Tell her I love her.”

Crowe frowned at him. “Night’s not over yet. We might meet you somewhere along the line.”

Ravus shook his head sadly. “The cost of a non-royal using the Ring is a life. They tried for one of you two at first. I offered my own. I have until dawn.”

Crowe’s hands went to her mouth. Tears welled up in her eyes. Then she suddenly pulled Ravus into a hug. She didn’t say anything. There was nothing more to say. Her hugging him could be their goodbye; they didn’t need anything else, this was enough. Ravus hugged her back tightly. This could be the last hug he ever gave, considering that all the other people he wanted to hug were either dead or outside of Insomnia. Their hug was interrupted by the metallic sound of Glauca’s armour. He was starting to stand.

“He just won’t die,” Ravus muttered. “I will deal with him. You know what you must do.”

“Yeah. Thanks, Ravus. See ya round,” Prompto said.

“Yeah. See ya,” Crowe mumbled. “Come on. I can hijack a car in under a minute. We may as well get there quicker.”

The pair ran towards one of the cars. Ravus didn’t look behind him to see where they’d gone. He was scared that if he did, he would run with them. Instead, he turned to face Glauca. Funny, it was immediately easy to stop thinking of him as Drautos. Ravus wondered which one really was his name. Glauca seemed more likely. As said General began to approach him, Ravus grabbed one of his knives.

He tried lightning again. Glauca was more prepared for it and he didn’t end up flying into a building this time. Behind him, Ravus could hear the car driving off. More lightning. He just had to keep Glauca from getting to the others. Ravus threw the knife and warped. Glauca made a swing at him; he blocked with a barrier. It felt much stronger than the ones that he’d conjured before. Ravus slashed at Glauca. He dodged. Glauca tried at Ravus again, only for him to warp behind and fling fire at him.

Irritated, Glauca leapt away from the roundabout and towards a nearby sky scraper. Ravus warped after him. He had to roll to the ground as Glauca swung at him upon landing. To make up for it, Ravus knocked him across the offices they were in with a powerful blizzard cast. The magic definitely did feel stronger now. Ravus got up to his feet.

“One man against an Empire. How can you possibly win?” Glauca asked.

“I won’t be fighting the Empire,” Ravus replied. “They will.”

Blue light surrounded him. Ravus lifted his arm up. The light intensified and the ground began to shake. Across the city, the statues of Kings and Queens long dead awoke and pulled away from where they had been stood. The magic began to flow within them once again for the first time in a century. The Old Wall had awoken in Insomnia’s time of need.

King Regis had given his magic away to too many, even with the Ring and Crystal boosting him. Ravus had no such drawbacks to the magic currently within him. It was more powerful than what he’d had as a Glaive, maybe not as powerful as it would have been for an unburdened king. Ravus was sure there were more spells the Ring had locked with, kept away from him because of his common blood. Still, he could at least summon the Old Wall.

Across the city, the Old Wall began to fight with the daemons and airships. Those still alive in the city looked up in awe as they fought.

In an Imperial ship about to leave Insomnia, the Chancellor and the Emperor watched the fighting.

“Ah! The power of the Old Wall!” Ardyn exclaimed. “A pity, though. They have no choice but to destroy their beautiful city. What a pitiful waste.”

Aldercapt tsked. “We will leave for Gralea at once. Ardyn, if you wish to disembark then do so. We have the Crystal. Let’s just allow the daemons to do their work.”

“Of course, Your Excellency. Of course,” Ardyn replied. He looked back to the viewing screen. “What a pity…”

* * *

 

Hours passed by. Most of the ships had left before they could be destroyed. Anybody in the city with access to weapons had done their best to fight back against the Imperial soldiers. The Crownsguard had evacuated as many people as possible. They’d hopefully be spread out amongst Cleigne and Duscae as quickly as possible.

Two of the statues had perished in the fight. The rest were teaming up against what was left of the daemons. There was less than an hour left until sunrise. When dawn came, it wouldn’t matter anymore since the daemons would fade away and the statues would lose the power Ravus had given them. Yet if they destroyed them for good, there was no way for them to ever reform or be returned to wherever Niflheim was storing them.

Ravus was stood atop one of the statues. It was locked in a battle against one of the daemons. Glauca was still fighting. His armour was finally showing signs of damage. The voice modulator was gone at the very least. He sounded like Drautos once more. Half his face was showing. Ravus hadn’t escaped battle damage himself. He was missing his wristband and right sleeve. His entire body was covered in cuts and bruises.

Unlike the statues and daemons, Ravus’ last hour did count. If he killed Glauca, it would take out a powerful figure within Niflheim. At the very least, the administrative nightmare and confusion would distract them a little from Prompto and Noctis. He warped to Glauca once more. The General caught him by the throat.

“There is nothing more you can do,” Glauca said. “All of this has been for nothing. You’ve died for a King who never cared. His lapdog, even after his death.”

“I will die… trying to bring a better future. Just like the King. Niflheim is no future,” Ravus replied. “They are destruction.”

He set his entire body on fire. The more magic he focussed into the flames, the hotter they became. Glauca’s armour began to melt off his body. He dropped Ravus and he warped behind Glauca. They went back to exchanging blows between sword and knife. Ravus was done trying to discuss the ethics of this damn war. Now was his last chance to fight.

Glauca slashed his stomach. With one hand, Ravus held him back from further attacks with a barrier. With the other, he used fire to sear the wound shut. Just because he was going to die anyway didn’t mean he should let that death come earlier. He still had to kill Glauca. The sun was beginning to rise and Ravus could feel the power slowly slip away from him.

With a primal yell, Ravus dropped the barrier and rushed at Glauca, body alight. Glauca grabbed him and Ravus grabbed back, unwilling to be pushed away. Above them, the statue and daemon were locked in a similar position. Ravus heated his body further, setting fire to Glauca as well. Spitting in the eye of his former captain, Ravus stopped the fire. He grabbed his knife and quickly brought it down on Glauca’s face.

The statue punched the daemon, killing it.

A final enraged look was etched on Glauca’s face as he dropped dead to the ground. Ravus pulled his knife out and let it drop to the ground. With one final look at Glauca, he turned and walked away. The sun began to rise more. Stumbling, Ravus found a pile of rubble to sit on. His flesh was starting to burn away.

“I did this for the future. For Luna,” he muttered to himself.

He raised his right hand up to the sky. He could just about see a barcode amongst the cuts and burns around his wrist. Ravus tilted his head back and closed his eyes. He smiled as the warmth of the sun washed over him.

_“Rule well, Noctis. Prompto, the future is in your hands. Crowe, Luna… I love you.”_

Ravus swore he could hear Libertus and Pelna. They were welcoming him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> MORE CHANGES:  
> \- Prompto has Crowe with him! Yes, she too has survived! I am not tricking you with this one!  
> \- I forgot to mention but I removed Ultros from the fic. Ulrtos is cool but easier to animate than write about.
> 
> And now, ladies, gentlemen, dignitaries, we only have the epilogue, which shall also go up tonight. I hope you are enjoying this wild ride.


	10. Epilogue

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here we are, the end of this portion of the series. It was fun to write and thank you all so much for your lovely comments.
> 
> I hope you enjoy this epilogue.
> 
> (just adding, i did a double update tonight. Make sure you've read chapter nine)

** Epilogue **

Gladiolus Amicitia had been taken out of Insomnia before the treaty was signed. Dustin Elshett of the Crownsguard arrived at the Amicitia manor and told him that his father wanted him out of the city. He’d told him to gather what he could before they escaped through a secret opening near West Gate. Jared Hester and his grandson Talcott had already headed there. That was when the explosions across the city broke out.

Despite Dustin wanting to cross the Sound immediately, Gladio had insisted on waiting. He’d told him that they should wait for more escapees to get out so that boat space wasn’t wasted. When he pushed for them to stay, Dustin finally yielded. Deep inside he had also wanted to stay. It was just that he had a job to do.

They threw lifeboat rules out the window and had about ten more people in the boat than it was legally supposed to hold. Fifteen of them squashed together in total. Theirs was the first boat to leave, since Gladio realised he _had_ to get to Lestallum. The staff at the Leville would need to be told that they were going to be housing as many refugees as they could squeeze. His dad was busy fighting alongside the king and who knew where Iris was. Gladio would have to take charge.

The little girl next to him started crying. Her mother had insisted that she got on the boat, despite their not being room for the mother herself. Gladio put an arm around her.

“Hey. I’m Gladio. What’s your name?” he asked.

“Katrina,” the girl mumbled.

“How old are you?”

“Eight.”

“You know, you’re really brave. When I was eight, I would _never_ have gone anywhere without my parents or my big sister. You’re doing great. When we get to Lestallum, we’ll wait for your mom together, yeah?”

“What if the Empire kills her?”

“She’s got the Crownsguard there to protect her. Marshal Gentiana’s there. I’ve seen her fight. She’s really strong. She won’t let the Nifs kill your mom. And I bet your mom’s pretty tough too. Moms usually are.” Katrina smiled slightly at him. “Did you bring any clothes or toys with you.”

“No. Mom said we had to run.”

“Well, your mom’s smart then. And the smart ones _always_ live. I have money with me, we’ll get you some clothes and toys in Lestallum, okay? And my dad owns the hotel there so I’ll tell them to give you a really nice room.” Gladio raised his voice slightly. “For all of you. If you don’t have anything, I’ll try and get you what I can.”

A few people gave him grateful looks. Katrina nodded slightly before starting to cry again. Gladio pulled her in slightly for a hug. It took a second but suddenly she was pressed into him, crying. Gladio just kept an arm around her and kept promising her that everything was going to be okay.

He looked out of the window and towards Insomnia. The sun had set and fire were swallowing the city. He held Katrina tighter; she didn’t need to see that.

* * *

 

_Several hours later_

They’d dumped the car a mile out from West Gate. They broke into another house and finally changed out of their clothes, storing the old ones in bags. Crowe insisted on them wearing hoodies. Prompto hadn’t protested. It reminded him of a photo Noct had sent once: him and his advisor, Aranea, after engaging in a bit of teenage rebellion. At least Prompto could cross wearing hoodies off his bucket list.

Before they left the house, Crowe had taken a few minutes to cry and scream over the unfairness of it all. She swore and threatened and begged and pleaded to the gods that weren’t actually there. Prompto just stood by and let her. When she was done, he put an arm around her and they walked in silence, bags weighed down with food and other supplies. Prompto finally let go of the trident. He’d try summoning it again if he needed to. He’d stolen a necklace chain and hung the ring around his neck.

They were going to need to find something that could cut through Crowe’s cast. Prompto had healed her arm, but the cast remained.

A group of refugees made their way towards the Gate. The pair slipped in with them. A few of the adults recognised Prompto. They wisely kept their mouths shut. One of them had gotten their son to part with a packet of cookies that the father then gave to Prompto and Crowe. Prompto was all for giving them back but Crowe accepted them on his behalf.

Finally, they made it out of Insomnia. Their group stopped in a sheltered area for a bit of a rest. Crowe offered Prompto a cookie. He took it.

“Onwards to Lestallum,” Crowe muttered.

“Then to Cauthess,” Prompto said.

“Then to… where is the Fulgarian?” Crowe asked, taking the cookie packet back.

Prompto swallowed his mouthful. “Duscae. I’ve got a rough idea. But we’ll need more bullets.”

“We’ll get some in Lestallum then,” Crowe said. “After that, Altissia?”

“Yeah. Then it’s Leviathan,” Prompto replied.

“Okay… what about the other three. You never said.”

“Shiva’s easiest. We don’t have to worry about him. He’ll just come to us when we need him. I don’t know where Ifirit is but I know somebody who probably does.”

“And the Draconian?”

“Same as Ifirit. No Oracle’s made the covenants in centuries. We kinda have to wing it a little.”

“Great. We’re winging it with the Six. That sounds great.”

“Sorry. You don’t have to come with me.”

“Prompto, shut up. I’m coming with you. I promised Ravus. And Libertus. And Lord Clarus. And the damn King. Besides. You’re my best shot at doing something to save the future and seeing Luna again.”

Somebody called for them, telling them that the group was starting to move once more. They got up and continued walking. Crownsguard were guiding the group towards a secluded harbour. Boats were making as many journeys as they could to get as many people as they could across the Lucian Sound. Prompto and Crowe swore that they saw the Marshal personally guiding a few refugees along.

As they walked, something caught Prompto’s eye. A tall man in fancy robes standing near the harbour. Two dogs were stood at his feet, one white and one black. The white dog had a photo album strapped to her back. Prompto smiled in relief as he saw the man. He pulled Crowe along towards him.

“Cor!”

* * *

 

He couldn’t move his arm. Most of it had been completely burnt off. Nyx swore as he wrapped a scrap of fabric around it. Those Lucian kings really didn’t mess around. They’d simply told him that he was not worthy of their power and left him to burn. At least the fire had stopped before it spread past him arm.

King Regis, his Shield, Prompto, and those Glaives. They were all gone. Probably halfway out of the city by now. Nyx cursed internally. All that waiting, all that planning. All for nothing. Hopefully, Prompto was still alive. It wouldn’t be good for any of them if Prompto was dead.

Shakily getting to his feet, Nyx looked around him. Destroyed MTs and Lucian corpses filled the room. Glauca was gone. Probably thought Nyx was going to burn to death and went after the King. Scorch marks surrounded a doorway. They probably went through there.

Nyx had a look at it. There was an elevator (or at least, there had been. It was lying at the bottom, crushed). Gritting his teeth, Nyx wrapped his arms (or right arm and what was left of his left) around a cable and slid down. He swore as the impact with the ground shook him. Holding on to his sword, he stepped out into a circular room. There was a body there.

King Regis.

No other bodies were around, so Nyx could assume that Prompto had gotten out with the Lucians. He walked over to the body. From the looks of things, King Regis had been stabbed through the back. The King’s sword was lying on the ground next to him. Nyx picked it up. He could feel magic in the sword. Magic that wouldn’t allow him to wield its power. That was certain.

His comms buzzed. _“Lord Ulric? Lord Ulric, report.”_

“Ulric reporting,” Nyx said.

 _“Lord Ulric, have you had contact with General Glauca? All command has heard from him was that King Regis was dead and that he was pursuing the Ring and the Oracle. Hours later we received negative readings from his armour. We’re assuming death.”_ Nyx’s eyes widened. _“We are unaware of how the king died. You were assigned in that vicinity. Do you have a report?”_

Nyx thought about it for a second. He could just about work with this. “Yes. I killed King Regis but sustained injuries. His magic burnt my arm off. General Glauca went to pursue the Ring. Cannot confirm death.”

_“Congratulations, Lord Ulric. You might just be the hero of the Empire. We have your location, we’ll send medics to you immediately. A report will be sent to the Emperor and the Chancellor. Off the record, sir, but you should probably expect some good things out of this!”_

Nyx gripped the sword a little tighter. “I can hope.”

* * *

 

Underneath the main roads of the city, in a passage that led towards the western district, the charred remains of a military van were still smoking. Sonitus, a traitor Glaive, was crawling from the wreckage, trying to ignore the blood coming from where his legs used to be. He hadn’t expected Lord Amicitia to attack them like that. It had killed Tredd and the others. Sonitus was all that was left. He needed to find a comm unit. The Empire had promised a reward for his assistance in overthrowing King Regis.

“Traitor.”

Sonitus looked up. Standing before him was a face he was terrified of. It was the face that angrily greeted him when he woke up with a hangover after jumping into the Citadel fountain. It was a face that he had last seen being swallowed by flames.

The face of Clarus Amicitia was the last thing he saw before a bullet entered his brain.

Clarus threw the now-empty gun to the side. His face was covered in burning flesh and only one of his eyes was working. He was fairly sure that his left hand was now a charred stump. Blood was leaking out of his legs through hastily wrapped fabric bandages. Ignoring the pain consuming his burnt body, Clarus grabbed another gun from the corpse of one of the traitors.

He would wait for the city to calm, then he would get out. He was the King’s Shield. He needed to go to his new King.

* * *

 

_Several days earlier_

“You haven’t seen Lord Prompto in twelve years?” Luna asked, turning behind to speak with Noctis.

“Yeah. We were eight back then,” Noctis replied.

Iris laughed slightly. “And boy have you changed. No longer the cute little kid who everyone adored. Now you’re a twenty-year-old mess.”

“And you’re a twenty-three-year-old mess, Iris,” Aranea quipped, not taking her eyes off the road. “I think the only person here who isn’t a mess is Luna.”

“You didn’t see me during training,” Luna replied. “I would like to personally thank the Six for somehow giving me the strength to get through those two years.”

“You can ask Lord Prompto to pass that on for you,” Iris said. “Speaking of Lord Prompto, photos don’t tell you _everything_. He’s gonna expect a fine young prince.”

“Tell me something I don’t know,” Noctis replied.

Aranea rolled her eyes. “We don’t have time to list all of that, Pretty Boy.”

“Hey!”

The car suddenly started sputtering and slowing down.

“What’s going on?” Iris asked.

Aranea dropped her head onto the wheel. “Hey guys….”

Noctis looked up to the sky. “Just great.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> HA! GOTCHA! CLARUS AMICITIA LIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIVES!
> 
> Y'all can come out of your corners and stop crying now.
> 
> Seriously, they saw him get burnt. I never said that they saw him drop down dead. They just assumed. So did you.
> 
> And with that, my friends, this fic comes to a close. Thank you again to chocobaes on tumblr for the frigging amazing art. And thank you all for reading and commenting.
> 
> 'We Will Be', the main game fic, will start posting tomorrow. Update schedule will be inconsistent (curse you A Level courses!) but rest assured, I will be seeing this series through.
> 
> Thank you for reading!

**Author's Note:**

> Sooooo.... did you enjoy it? More to follow soon.


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